Storm Hawks Final Hour
by ponylkb
Summary: With Cyclonis's power and rule over Atmos near complete the Storm Hawks are thrown into a dangerous hunt for the horcuxes as they evade the growing forces that seek their destruction but as both sides hurtle towards a final battle who will win?. Number 6
1. Chapter 1

Night had fallen over Atmos. In the offices of the Ministry of Magic however, people were still working. The Minister of Magic himself was addressing a large group of reporters, all eager for news and perhaps reassurance. They and Atmos craved it a little more considering there had been a change in power as standing in front of them was not Cornelius as it had been at the last press call but rather Scrimgeour, the man whom had taken over after his predecessor had been sacked not too long ago. He looked rather like an old lion with grey streaks in his mane of tawny hair and bushy eyebrows with a worn face making him look older than he actually was.

"These are dark times there is no denying" He spoke in a clear and calm voice. "Our world had perhaps faced no greater threat than it does today, but I say this to our citizens, we ever your servants ever continue to defend your liberty and repeal the forces to take it from you" He announced determinedly as the reporters wrote down his speech and took photographs."Your Ministry remains strong" The Minister concluded, his voice echoing around the repaired fountain area of the Ministry.

Across Atmos on a small and uninhabited Terra, hidden in a forest covered valley was the Condor. Almost hidden from view, it's current location was for good reason. The Storm Hawks were leaving it there. Piper was in her room and like the others, she was packing. Pausing for a moment her eyes, once again found themselves looking at the newspaper on her bed. Picking it up she glanced sadly at the headline which read 'Dark Mark Spreads Panic'. There was a photograph of the dark mark hanging in the sky above Hogwarts below. The sub headline underneath that was worse. It read 'Family Murdered' with a photograph of a man and woman each holding their children, each still babies. Like most of the murders Piper knew the family had done nothing against Cyclonis and her followers.

Aerrow was sitting on his bed, which was littered with his belongings all waiting to be either packed or left behind. He'd already ensured that the two destroyed horcruexs, the fake locket with the note from R.A and his spell book were the first to be packed. Apart from his blades, which were attached to his belt, there was only really his clothes to pack. As he began packing them he came across his Storm Hawks jacket, not the one his father had given him nearly six years ago as that one had long since been outgrown, but it was still achingly similar. Everyone had debated whether or not to take their uniformed jackets they'd all adopted as their uniform but had decided to only wear plain clothing, just in case they were noticed. Aerrow sat with the jacket folded on his lap before packing it, knowing he may need a reminder of who they were and, what they were about to do.

Junko and Ace were packing too, though for Ace it was particularly hard, the Condor had been his home before, he had also left it before too although not by his own will and now he was leaving it again.

Finn was standing, not in his room but rather on at the edge of the Condor's runway, he had not yet finished packing but had taken a break to enjoy the calm night air, he could just about see the stars in the night sky in the gaps of the thin clouds. It was peaceful here, but where they were going Finn knew the peace would not last.

Stork too was not packing, although he was already done. He had chosen to stand in the bridge, next to the ships controls. In all of Atmos he had never wanted to be anywhere else and was at his happiest flying the ship. In his heart though he knew he couldn't stay. None of them could.


	2. Chapter 2

The great mansion dominated the landscape it surrounded. It's looks and impression reflected its current owners and visitors with its tall and straight walls and windows it towered above the dark and misty hedges which flanked the gravel path that led to it's front doors the manor radiated power and wealth in a very high held way. This was the home of Lucius and his family, and it was about to receive a visitor as a black stream of smoke flew towards it. The stream of smoke reached ground level and disappeared leaving the man to walk up to the large iron gates that stood at the beginnings of the manors gravel path. Not altering his pace the man waved his wand and the gates seemed to almost ripple before he walked straight through them as of they were smoke. It didn't take the man long to enter the manor and walk through the grey stoned entrance hall, which wouldn't have looked out of place at Hogwarts, climbing the stairs the man found himself in a large dinning room. Decorated with tapestries and chandeliers with a large lit fireplace central against the wall there was also a large dark wooded dinning table, which could easily seat twenty or more people, placed in the centre of the room. The man had paused at the dinning rooms entrance as in front of him the dinning room was full of people, each seated at the table, talking in quite discussion. The peculiar thing about this room however, was not that the people seated were some of Atmos's most dangerous and wanted criminals including death eaters and even Master Cyclonis herself, sat at the head of the table, it was that there was a woman, seemingly uncontentious, floating in mid air on her back at the other end of the table to Cyclonis.

"Severus" Cyclonis spoke, taking note of the man who had killed, on her orders of course, Dumbledore ridding her of one of her two biggest threats. Severus took his gaze away from the floating woman to Cyclonis. "I was beginning to worry you'd lost your way, come we've saved you a seat" She continued, indicating a chair two seats from her. Severus silently took his seat as the rest of Cyclonis's followers watched. "You bring news I trust?" Cyclonis asked in a quiet and clam voice.

"It will happen the day after tomorrow at night fall" Severus told her.

"I've heard differently master" A deep voice spoke, belonging to a man sitting opposite Severus who had a hard and blunt looking face with his dirty blond hair tied in a plait. "Dorlishe the Auror has let slip that the Storm Hawks will not be moved until the thirtieth of this month, the day before their Sky Knight turns eighteen" He continued as Cyclonis and her followers looked to him.

"This is a false trail, the Ministry of Magic nor even the Sky Knight council no longer have any association or contact with the Storm Hawks, those closest to them believe we have infiltrated the them both" Severus interrupted the man.

"Well they got that right then" One of the death eaters further down the table chuckled, causing a few of the others to laugh too. Cyclonis allowed herself a rare smile before she turned her attention to the other end of the table.

"What say you Pius?" She asked the man sitting directly opposite her. The man she was addressing was thin, middle-aged and had long black hair and a beard. Sitting just in front of the floating woman Pius seemed a little nervous, more so due to Nagini, Cyclonis's pet snake, slithering on the floor right beside him.

"One hears many things master, but the truth among them is not clear" He replied, forcing himself not to look at the snake.

"You've spoken like a true politician" Cyclonis chuckled slightly, her pail and slightly shrunken face lighting up for a moment. "You will I think prove most useful Pius" She continued as her smile faded, never there for long. "Where will they be taken?" She asked, turning back to Severus.

"To a safe house, most likely the home of someone in the Order of the Phoenix, the Storm Hawks have seemingly but their trust in them only, I've been told its been given every manner of protection available, once they are there it would be impractical to attack" He replied. The sound of someone clearing their throat sounded. It was Bellatrix, who was sat next to her sister, Lucius's wife.

"Master I would like to volunteer myself for the task, I want to kill the Sky Knight" She said in a low whisper. Before Cyclonis could answer a loud and painful groan emitted from somewhere on the floor below.

"Petigrew!" Cyclonis shouted at the rat like man who was stood a short distance away from the table behind Pius. "Have I not told you about keeping our guest quiet" Cyclonis spat out in annoyance.  
>"Yes, my master, right away my master" Petigrew stuttered, twitching both his real and silver hands before leaving the room.<p>

"As inspiring I find your blood lust Bellatrix, I must be the one to kill Aerrow" Cyclonis continued. Bellatrix who'd been leaning in expectantly withdrew back respectively. "But, I face an unfortunate complication" Cyclonis announced to them all again as she stood up. "That my wand and Aerrow's blades share the same core, they are in some ways twins, we can wound but not fatally harm one another" She announced as she laid her wand on the table. "If I am to kill him, I must do it with another's wand" She added as she stared to walk down one side of the table. "Come, surly one of you would like the honour" She inquired when no one spoke up. "What about you, Lucius?" She asked stopping beside his chair. Lucius, who still looked pale and worn with none of his usual self assurance he'd lost in Askaban, looked up at her.

"Master?" He asked taken a back.

"I require your wand" Cyclonis ordered rather than asked, holding out a hand. After a slight pause Lucius reluctantly pulled the wand, which formed the top of his walking stick, out and handed it to her.

"I think this will do" Cyclonis said quietly, running her a hand over the wand as she held the bejewelled snake head handle with the other. Then in one swift movement she snapped the little snakes head off the wand a threw it onto the table causing Lucius to flinch a little and now truly look worn down and defeated. As if to test her new wand Cyclonis turned her attention and the wands direction to the floating woman. "To those of you who do not know, we are joined tonight by Miss Burbage whom until recently taught at the Sky Knight academy" Cyclonis announced as the woman, now awake and looking around fearfully, floated until she was above the middle of the table. "I believe she even taught the Storm Hawks Sky Knight" She added causing her followers to jeer and taunt the woman. "It is her belief that the Sky Knights, not us will be the one victorious in this war" Cyclonis taunted as she took her seat once again. Nagini had followed it's master to her seat and was crawling up her chair. Cyclonis then raised her wand at the woman and set off a killing curse, causing Miss Burbage to fall onto the table with a great crash, dead.

"Nagini, dinner" Cyclonis whispered as she stroked her snake, which then started to slither down the table towards the woman's body.


	3. Chapter 3

Aerrow was sitting in his darkened room, his rucksack laying next to him, as he turned over events in his head. It was then that he saw a shadow and heard a knock coming from his open doorway. It was Ace, looking a little grim. Not needing to say anything Aerrow nodded and picked up he bag as he stood up. Following Ace out he paused for a moment taking a last glance at his room before he shut the door.

Everyone had gathered in the hanger, standing silently in a semi circle with their bags at their feet. Although not voicing it, they were all thinking the same thing. They were about to leave their home, perhaps for good. A distant roaring and lights drew their attention to outside where through the open doors of the hanger they could see the dipped headlights of vehicles descending towards the Condor's runway. Seven skimmers of various styles and models pulled up, illuminating the hanger. It was only when the engines and the headlights were switched off could Aerrow see the riders clearly. Standing there was Order of Phoenix members Arthur, Moody, Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Fred, George, Charlie and Bill. Starling was also there as was Flur, who'd they'd last seen at the Tri-Sky Knight tournament who'd become engaged to Bill. There was also a small rather shady looking man there too unknown to the Storm Hawks. There was then a few moments of greetings as everyone reacquainted with each other.

"What are you doing here, I though you were going to wait at the safe house?" Aerrow asked Starling surprised, though he was pleased to see her after a few weeks of having to stay with the Condor.

"And leave you to deal with Cyclonis, besides when have I ever backed away from the action" She replied with a smile. After a few more moments of talking Moody, who'd not joined in with the greetings, seemed to grow impatient.

"All right we'll have time for a cosy catch up later, first we've got to get the hell out of here" He barked, causing them all to fall silent as he stood in front of them all. "Now we can't use magical or crystal transportation, both of which are being monitored by the Ministry and Sky Knight council, so were going to have to travel their by undetectable means" Moody explained, cutting straight to the point. "Skimmers, we'll go in pairs, that way if anyone's waiting for us which I don't doubt their will be they won't know which Aerrow is the real one" He told them.

"The real one?" Aerrow asked confused, thinking he'd misheard Moody.

"I believe your familiar with this particular brew" Moody replied grinning as he produced a drinking flask. At once Aerrow knew what he meant. There was Polyjuice potion inside the flask which allowed the drinker to change their appearance into someone else, Aerrow had last heard of it when a death eater had impersonated Moody for months during the Tri-Sky Knight tournament.

"No, absolutely not" Aerrow protested at the idea being suggested.

"Told you he'd take it well" Starling told Moody as she stood next to Aerrow.

"I not going to let anyone risk their lives for.." Aerrow began to protest again.

"It's not like we haven't done it before" Finn said. Aerrow looked to his team a little stunned.

"Wait, you all knew about this?" He began to ask but decided it wasn't worth dwelling on. "Look it's different, taking that becoming me, no" He protested again to them all.

"You'll be the main target up there, and for good reason, were best to confuse them with duplicates and everyone has agreed to take the risk" Moody told him. A loud cough rang out from the small man who'd not introduced himself at that point.

"Technically I've been coerced, Mundungus by the way Storm Hawks, always been a huge admirer" He said in a way that didn't sound all true.

"Zip it Mundungus" Moody barked. "Aright Piper as we discussed" He added. It was then that Piper walked up to Aerrow from behind and yanked a few of his hairs out from the back of his head as she walked past him to Moody.

"Ow, blimey Piper" Aerrow winced, having not expected or seen it, as he rubbed the back of his head a little. Piper then dropped the few hairs into the flask, giving the potion the final ingredient needed. As she did so those who were going to be changing all stood in a group as Moody gave the flask to Fred. The flask then was passed five more times, it went to George, then to Flur, then Charlie, then Starling and finally with a little reluctance Mundungus. Each of them than began to change into Aerrow, who was finding this very odd to see his hair or eyes on someone else's face. Soon however, after some people had changed hight, hair length or colour and face, there now stood seven Aerrow's including the real one.

"Wow were identical" Fred and George joked at the same time.

"Not your not" Moody said as he gave a flick of his wand and clothing identical to what Aerrow was wearing piled up on the floor as well as copies of his blades. Five minutes later the duplicate Aerrow's had all come back into the hanger having changed so that now they could pass as the real one. "Right them we'll be pairing off, as we discussed, Mundungus stick tight to me I want to keep an eye on you" Moody said. "As for Aerrow, the real one you'll be with Ace, Lets go" He announced. Soon they were all lined up on the runway with their skimmers in pairs, now that it was dark whose skimmer any of the Aerrow's were on didn't matter anymore. Moody was standing at the edge of the runway facing them all.

"Head for Molly's house, we meet there, on the count on three" Moody told them. Everyone began revving their engines. "One, two, three" Moody shouted as he banged his large walking stick on the metal floor. The sound of screeching tires filled the air as each pair of skimmers launched of the runway and into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Normally Aerrow would have enjoyed the take off and the feel of the wind rushing past as he flew, but tonight was different. There was tense atmosphere in the air and the skies around were eerily calm. As Aerrow and Ace flew next to each other they saw the various pairs flying off in different directions, each pair taking a different route to the safe house. Through his goggles Aerrow saw Moody fly in close, his skimmer was oddly shaped with his foot pedals towards the front rather than in the middle, with a final nod which Aerrow and Ace returned Moody once more disappeared into the clouds. The silence of the night hung in the air once again.

"It's calm tonight, maybe we'll be aright" Ace said quietly. Aerrow didn't reply, something had caught his eye, the clouds in front were glowing and a slight rumbling could be heard as of there was a thunder storm occurring. It wasn't a storm. Flying through the clouds Aerrow and Ace found themselves in the middle of a ferocious sky battle. Skimmers were everywhere, there must have been twenty or more hooded and masked death eaters fighting against the other Aerrow's and Order of Phoenix members. There were numerous flashes and bangs as spells from all sides collided with other weapons. As they took evasive action Aerrow and Ace drew their weapons and began firing at the death eaters. Despite fighting back they carried on flying on course.

"Ace we've got to help the others!" Aerrow shouted as he saw a skimmer, unable to make out its owner, catch fire and plummet.

"We can't stop we have to carry on" Ace shouted back as they cleared the main part of the battle. Aerrow was about to say something back when he saw three skimmers dropping in towards them, fast. Reacting swiftly Aerrow jumped onto one of his top wing and slammed a foot onto the tip of his wing, sending the skimmer into a rapid spin, gripping with one hand Aerrow fired stunning spells from his blade at the same time. If not hit by the spells the death eaters were unseated by their own spells which had rebounded off Aerrow's spinning ride.

"Oh nice!" Ace shouted as Aerrow came out if his spin and stood on his wing. Aerrow laughed a little, more in relief than anything, but then seemed to notice something. His breath was becoming visible from the sudden chill in the air and ice was beginning on his skimmer. His goggles were also icing over and upon removing them Aerrow saw at least a dozen Dementors gliding in, perhaps on their way to the main battle, though now they had two targets at little earlier than expected.

"We can't evade them we'll have to attack" Ace shouted, looking to Aerrow.

"A patronus is a pretty big signal" Aerrow, still standing on his top wing, knew that his patronus would give him away to every one around. But between Dementors and death eaters, he knew who he'd rather face. Standing on his skimmer Aerrow pointed a blade at the swarm of creatures and released his patronus. The shimmering white hawk erupted from his blade and flew right into the heart of the black cloud of Dementors knocking them all back as it changed into a large bright foggy shield which banished the Dementors away for good. As the patronus hawk faded the sky once more darkened. Aerrow and Ace let out a sigh of relief as the sky in front seemed to be mercifully quiet.

"Have much further is it?" Aerrow shouted to Ace as below he could see the countryside of an unknown Terra fly by.

"Not far it's on the other side of the Terra" Ace shouted back. Aerrow nodded as he scanned the horizon for their destination, it looked as if they would made it. Then the scar on his arm flared up, badly causing him to yell and grunt in pain. Doubling over, he had to resort to leaning on the handlebars for support. Hardly aware of his surroundings anymore Aerrow barley noticed his skimmer had begun to weave and dip dangerously. Ace had to manoeuvre his skimmer so that he could use his wings to balance Aerrow's skimmer. As Aerrow leant against the cold metal of the handlebars with his head lent on one of the headlights he was on the verge of blanking when he heard a voice.

"Aerrow" A cold woman's voice whispered, bringing him round. A black stream was hurtling towards the two skimmers. It was Cyclonis. Still flying in a black stream Ace could see her head and shoulders which were just out of the smoke. He knew he couldn't attack, he was still holding Aerrow's skimmer steady and Aerrow looked barely contentious. Then just as Cyclonis raised her wand and Ace braced for the impact, Aerrow, without any movement from himself, felt his blade,which had been hanging limply in his hand, suddenly jerked upwards and level with Cyclonis wand. Just as she sent out a serpent green killing curse Aerrow's blade sent out a spell he didn't even know which looked like a spurt of golden fire. The spells collided right in the middle of their casters and became locked in a power struggle. But then, somehow, Aerrow's spell began to push Cyclonis's back. As Cyclonis's spell finally broke Aerrow's spell continued to travel up her wand, causing it to crack and split before with one final blast the spell destroyed the wand and knocked back Cyclonis enough to cease her attack. Aerrow, having recovered a little and gained his seat again, managed to accelerate his skimmer a little which allowed him to regain control as Ace moved his skimmer away and they both accelerated as fast as they could away from where Cyclonis hung in mid air, surrounded by black smoke, yelling in total rage as she watched the lights of the two skimmers fade away into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Something was wrong with Aerrow's skimmer. It was coughing and spluttering and seemed to be losing power. Ace was having problems with his own ride too.

"They must have been hit by something in the fight" Aerrow said as he wrestled to keep his ride steady.

"If we can just reach a little further ahead" Ace replied, straining as he too fought for control. Neither ride was improving but their owners refused to abandon them now, they could see the house just a few hundred meters away. A slight rippling sound was heard as the passed the barrier and protective enchantments that surrounded the house and gardens. Inside the house Molly, who had been washing the dishes, paused and listened as she heard the sound of engines. By now the bikes were rattling and jerking badly, not having enough power Aerrow's crash landed in the watery bog and weeds just to the side of the house. Ace's ride, which was doing a little better glided a little further ahead and managed to miss the bog and slide to a halt on the grass just next to it. As soon as he'd got over his shock Ace looked back to the bog worriedly. "Aerrow!" He called as he ran into the knee deep murky water.

"Yeah, over here!" He heard Aerrow respond a short distance away. Running around a bush of thick reeds Ace found Aerrow and his now wrecked skimmer. The skimmer had crashed nose first and lodged into the ground under the water, crumpling the wings and main body with the force at the same time, Aerrow looked as if he'd been thrown from is skimmer on impact as he was standing drenched head to toe a good distance from the wreck.

"You ok?" Ace asked, worried at how drenched and bedraggled Aerrow looked. To his surprise Aerrow seemed more annoyed at where he'd landed rather than the actual crash.

"First crash landing in years and I end up a bog" He said, sounding both amused and annoyed at the same time as he waded over to Ace, who began chuckled a little, though more relieved to see he wasn't hurt.

"Well it's said every rider has one decent crash" Ace replied with a smile. Aerrow didn't look amused at this as he began shaking off the worst of the mud and grime.

"Well I won't be crashing on that again" He said, almost a little sadly as he glance at his ruined ride.

"Come on, best get out of here" Ace said, indicating the house in the distance.

Soon they waded out of the bog and onto the grass, just near where Ace had crashed. As they neared the house the front door suddenly opened, bathing the grounds with a warm and bright light from the doorway, Molly came running out to greet them.

"Oh, Aerrow, Ace what happened, where are the others?" She asked worriedly.

"Is no one's back?" Aerrow asked her, now growing worried himself.

"They were right on us from the start Molly we didn't stand a chance" Ace explained to her. Molly nodded a little, but her worry didn't fade.

"Well at least you too are back" She said just as the sound of an engine was heard. Turning around Aerrow could see a set of head lights lowering in the sky and soon a skimmer pulled up near the house. Something had gone wrong two figures were on the vehicle but one was slumped across the seat whilst the other was helping them off. Running forward they saw it was Lupin supporting one of the Aerrow duplicates, who had a bloody and gaping hole where one of his ears should have been.

"Quick into the house" Lupin said as Ace assisted in supporting, now with the Polyjuice worn off, George into the lounge of the house and lay him on the sofa. Aerrow and Molly had followed in, both looking horrified. It was when Ace was beginning to treat the wound when Lupin suddenly turn round and push Aerrow against the fireplace wall with his wand draw.  
>"Lupin!" Ace shouted, wondering what was going on.<p>

"What is form does Aerrow's patronus take?" Lupin, ignoring Ace, asked Aerrow at wand point.

"Have you mad..." Aerrow began to shout back.

"What form!" Lupin shouted.

"A hawk!" Aerrow shouted back. At once Lupin released his grip and lowered his wand.  
>"We've been betrayed, Cyclonis knew you were being moved tonight, I had to make sure you weren't an imposter" Lupin explained as everyone began to calm down. More engines were heard from outside. Aerrow and Lupin both ran outside to see Piper and Sirius walking up to the house.<p>

"Wait!" Lupin said, halting Aerrow's approach, as he lifted his wand at Sirius who too lifted his wand.

"The last words Dumbledore said to the pair of us?" Sirius asked him.

"The Storm Hawks are the best hope we have, trust them" Lupin answered before they both lowered their wands.

"What gave you away?" Sirius asked Aerrow, who was standing just besides Lupin.  
>"My patronus I think, Cyclonis sent Dementors" Aerrow explained as two more skimmers came into land carrying Bill and Flur quickly followed by Charlie and Stork. Tonks and Finn, who still looked like Aerrow, had also landed. Piper seeing him suddenly ran up and surprisingly hugged him as he changed back into himself.<p>

"Deserves that, brilliant he was" Tonks said, sounding out of breath "I wouldn't be standing here without him" She said as she hugged her husband, Lupin, in relief.

"Really?" Piper questioned.  
>"Why sound so surprised?" He asked with a tired grin as Aerrow and Stork came over to greet them. It was then that Junko and Starling landed. Aerrow left his team to greet Junko and he ran up to her and pulled her into a hug.<p>

"What happened to you?" She asked, seeing his filthy state.  
>"Oh, crashed into the bog, you ok?" Aerrow asked back. Starling smiled and nodded, apart from her hair which was tumbling out of it's ponytail and the fact she was still wearing the same clothes as Aerrow she was fine. Moments after Junko and Starling's arrival Arthur and Fred had arrived.<p>

"We the last back, where's George?" Arthur asked with a smile which soon faded as he he saw Lupin and Sirius's faces and realised something was wrong.

Everyone soon gathered in the lounge where George was lying on the sofa. Ace had managed to treat the wound and clean it up a bit, but that had made the hole where his ear had been all the more obvious.  
>"How'd you feel George?" Fred asked quietly as he knelt in front of his twin brother as Molly soothed her son's head.<p>

"Saint like" George seemed to whisper.

"Come again?" Fred asked softly.

"Saint like, I'm holy, get it Fred holy" George replied, indicating the hole in his head. George and a few others smiled, Fred and George were always the ones to make jokes of a situation.

"Of all the ear related jokes in Atmos and you go for I'm holy, pathetic" Fred joked causing George to smile.

"Reckon I'm still better looking to you" He jokingly replied. Everyone however, was soon distracted by Bill, who'd just walked in looking very grim.  
>"Moody's dead" He announce solemnly. A terrible silence hung in the air and everyone saddened at the loss. "Mundungus took one look at Cyclonis and dissaperated" Bill added, telling them all that Mundungus had fled in a way most sorcerers travelled by using their wands to jump to a new location. The silence fell once again.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

The night, long after everyone had gone to bed, Aerrow was tossing and turning. He was seeing and hearing events of the escape that had merged with memories of his encounters with the horcruexs as if all the information was jumbled around his head, unable to piece together. Then something new came, Aerrow heard Cyclonis's voice.

"You lied to me Olivander" She said as Aerrow saw the man, who'd placed a magical core in his blades, looking worn and terrified as he backed against a stone wall.

"No, no" He pleaded and begged. That was when Aerrow woke with a start before lying wide awake in bed for a few moments. Then as quietly as he could, so not to wake Finn and Junko who were sharing the room, Aerrow slipped on a coat, jeans and shoes over his sleepwear and grabbed his bag and blades. Stepping out of the house and shutting the door as quietly as he could he began to walk away from the house. He'd not got far when he heard the door creak open again from behind him, but he carried on walking as he heard someone following him.

"Going somewhere?" It was Finn, still in his sleepwear but with a jumper on top, half jogging to catch up.

"No one else is going to die, not protecting me" Aerrow told him as he stopped and faced Finn,who'd stopped a short distance away, before Aerrow began walking away again.

"You think Moody died for you, you think George took that curse for you?" Finn asked as he began to follow him again. "You maybe the one who'll stop her mate, but this is a lot bigger right now, it's always been bigger than that" Finn told him.

"Come with me" Aerrow suggested, having wished to go alone and leave his team at the house where they'd be safe.

"What leave the others, are you mad, we wouldn't last two days just without Piper" Finn replied, then drew embarrassed at what he'd just said. "Don't tell her I said that" He mumbled quickly. "Besides, we have to think when and where were going to go and we've been invited to Bill and Flur's wedding too" He reminded Aerrow.

"Well, I don't care about a wedding, no matter whose it is, these horcruexs have to be found, there are only chance of stopping her and the longer we stay here the stronger she gets" Aerrow replied, knowing Bill and Flur were marrying in a few days at the house which to him was an agonizing delay.

"Tonight's not the night mate, you'll only be doing her a favour" Finn told him as he walked up to him as Aerrow dumped his rucksack on the floor and paced a little in annoyance. Finn picked up and soldered the bag and waited until Aerrow was definitely walking back to the house. "Do you think she knows, I mean their bits of her soul these horcruexs, bits of her, well Dumbledore destroyed the ring, you destroyed her diary, she must have felt something, to kill the other horcruexs we have to find them, where are they, where do we start?" Finn questioned as the walked back into the house.

The morning of the wedding dawned clear and calm. Aerrow, dressed in a shirt, smart trousers and shoes along with a waistcoat, which was not yet buttoned up and missing the editions of a tie and jacket, walked into the lounge where a small banner reading 'Bill and Flur' hung in front of one of the windows. The mornings Daily Prophet on the kitchen's table caught his eye with the headline reading 'Dumbledore's Dark Secrets Revealed' with a sub heading just below stating Skeeter, the journalist who'd printed ridiculous gossip during the Tri-Sky Knight tournament, had written a book on Dumbledore, promising to tell all the gossip and secrets of the man.

"Zip me up will you?" A voice suddenly asked. Aerrow saw it was Starling, standing a short distance away in a knee length light grey dress with black decoration which had the zip partially done up. As Aerrow walked over she brushed her hair, left in loose curls, away from her exposed back. "It seems silly doesn't it, a wedding, given everything that's going on" She said as Aerrow zipped her dress up, fastening it at the top.

"Maybe that's the best reason to have it, because of everything that's going on" He replied, his fingers lingering on her neck for a moment as she turned to face him. Wearing a little make up, she looked even more beautiful, her olive green eyes seemed to stand out more with the little mascara she'd put on. For a moment they looked at each other before Starling leaned in and kissed him softly.  
>"What was that for?" Aerrow asked her with a smile as they stood gazing at each other.<br>"Just enjoying it while I can" Starling replied with a grin as she gently rested a hand on his cheek. "And happy birthday" She added softly as she kissed him again before she pulled away and left the room, leaving Aerrow in a very good mood as he left the room too.


	7. Chapter 7

Outside the house Arthur, Lupin, Sirius, Bill and Charlie were all stood around what appeared to be a large marquee which was folded up on the grass.  
>"All together now, one, two, three" Arthur instructed as they all began levitating the marquee which also began to set itself up too. Soon the roof was up, as was the similar but smaller room the covered the path to the house. It was then that Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic, dissaperated into the grounds of the house.<p>

"Blimey, what's the Minister doing here?" Charlie asked as he and the others watched the man walk up the path toward the house.

The Storm Hawks were all gathered in the lounge, all apart from Piper were in their formal clothing, sitting opposite the Scrimgeour.

"What can we do for you Minister?" Aerrow asked.

"I think we both know the question to the Aerrow" Scrimgeour replied as he placed a small bag onto the low table that lay in-between him and the Storm Hawks.

"And this is?" Aerrow inquired at the bag. Scrimgeour then took out a letter from his briefcase, the letter then floated out of Scrimgeour's hand and opened itself whilst hanging in mid air just to the side if them.

"Here it is set forth that this is the last will and testimony of Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts school of sorcery" The Minster began to read aloud the letter. "First to Finn of the Storm Hawks I leave my deluminator a device of my own making, in the hope that when things seem most dark, it will show him the light" Scrimgeour said as he passed a very surprised Finn a small circular tube with a metal bottom and top with a small switch at the side.

"Dumbledore left this for me?" Finn asked, looking at it curiously. "What does it do?" He asked confused. Scrimgeour seemed to know no more than he did as Finn flicked the switch and the lid at the top lifted away, it was than that the lamp nearest to flicked off and the light seemed to enter the device with closed it's top again. Finn then flicked the switch again and this time the light left the device and went back to it's lamp. "Wicked" Finn said as he rolled the device over in his hands. The Minister seemed to want to say something but instead carried on reading the will.  
>"To Piper of the Storm Hawks I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in the hop that she finds it entertaining and instructive" Scrimgeour said as he handed Piper a small and very battered book.<p>

"This is full of children's stories" Piper said as she recognised the book, which they all knew was full of fictional tales involving magic and myth. Again the Minister did not say anything on the matter and continued with the will.

"Finally to the Storm Hawks Sky Knight Aerrow, I leave this note as a reminder of his perseverance and nerve" Scrimgeour began, passing over a letter which Aerrow noticed had already been opened. "Also the care and loyalty of my Phoenix, Fawkes with the reminder that help will always be given to those ask for it" Scrimgeour continued to say as Aerrow opened his letter, which had few words.

"One of three, now destroyed, it's true value never void" Aerrow read out what was written down. He, the others and Scrimgeour all looked confused. A device that switch lights on and off, a children's book, a riddle and the loyalty of a absent Phoenix, none of it made any sense. Scrimgeour seemed however, more disappointed at the lack of information rather than confused. "Is that it then?" Aerrow asked him, looking up from the letter, with a feeling that it was the Minister who had opened it first.

"Not quite, Dumbledore left you one more bequest, the sword of Griffindor" Scrimgeour told him , but made no move to produce the sword that had belonged to one of Hogwarts founders. "Unfortunately the sword was not Dumbledore's to give away, as an important historical artefact it belongs..." Scrimgeour began.

"To Aerrow, it belongs to Aerrow, Fawkes brought it to him when he needed it most in the..." Piper began but stopped herself, not wanting to inform the Minister of the fact that they had found the fabled Chamber of Secrets or that Aerrow had used the sword to kill the chambers monstrous Basilisk. The Minister didn't pry into Piper's near revelation but still looked at her curiously.

"In any case the current location of the sword is unknown" He announced.

"You mean it's missing?" Ace asked surprised. Scrimgeour seemed to ignore the question but instead chose to look back at them all.

"I don't know what your up to Storm Hawks, but you can't fight this war on your own, she's too strong" He told them solemnly.


	8. Chapter 8

The night air was filled with cheerful music coming from the now lit marquee tent as the celebrations of the wedding were in full swing. Outside the tent however, was reminder of Atmos's current stability as a large amount of Aurors, including Lupin, as well as a number of Sky Knights were all standing guard and occasionally paroling the area. Inside the tent Bill and Flur were happily dancing whilst family and friends watched on joyfully. Aerrow was stood watching from a distance away, just at the edge of the marquee's room. He was enjoying the scene but still couldn't help feeling a little cut off from it at the same time as his mind was lingered on the task ahead. The rest of the Storm Hawks were all spread around the tent, Piper, now in a dark blue dress and holding a matching bag, was happily talking to Victor,Terra Durmstrung's Seeker and Sky Knight who had been one of the Tri-Sky Knight champions. Aerrow smiled a little as he noticed Finn, sat at a table close to where Piper and Victor were stood talking, trying hard not to look jealous. There then came a break in the music where a few people left the dance floor and began chatting to various people. One of those leaving the dance floor was Starling, who immediately spotted Aerrow and began to walk up to him.

"Hey, you ok?" She asked, having noticed Aerrow's preference to watch rather than join in.

"Yeh I'm, just happy watching" He replied with a smile and shrug.

"Mind on bigger things?" Starling guessed before she looked at him with a glint in her eye. "But for tonight it can be forgotten and next song your dancing with me" She told him with a smile. Aerrow tried to think of an argument to get out of the dancing but something about the happiness in Starling's face stopped him, she was right he should enjoy tonight, they'd had too much darkness recently not to. It was then that someone called out their names.  
>"Aerrow, Starling" A young girls voice sounded, looking towards the middle of the tent they both saw Molly, Spencer's daughter who they'd helped save from the Unknown, running over to them in her excitement.<p>

"Molly" Aerrow happily replied as the girl, who had grown quite a bit since they'd last saw her, reached them.

"How have you been?" Starling asked as she gave her a hug.

"Fine, how about you, I've heard so much about what you've done recently, your adventures" She replied excitedly. Aerrow and Starling glanced at each other with a the same amused expression, although having grown a lot Molly was still only ten or eleven years old and her last encounter with the Storm Hawks had inspired her to become a Sky Knight and deal with more 'adventures' as she called them which the Storm Hawks would call trouble.

"Molly, I'm sure Aerrow and Starling don't want to be bothered about their work tonight" A voice belonging to Molly's father and Order of the Phoenix member Spencer.  
>"Spencer, good to see you again" Aerrow greeted the man with a hand shake before Starling too greeted him.<br>"Molly why don't you go and find the other Storm Hawks, I'm sure they'd be glad to see you again" Spencer told his daughter as he gave a look to Aerrow and Starling that said he wanted to talk to them alone.  
>"Ok dad" Molly replied, having picked up that her father wanted to talk to the Sky Knight's as she waved goodbye before walking back across tent. Spencer gave and slight sigh and smile as they watched her walk off.<p>

"She's certainly been inspired by you, anyway how have you been?" He inquired turning back to them.

"Fine, well you know..." Aerrow trailed off with a shrug, knowing Spencer knew as much as any of the other members of the Order about recent events.

"I was sorry to hear about Moody, he er, he was a good man" Spencer replied sadly and Aerrow and Starling nodded. It was whilst they were talking did Aerrow notice Spencer was wearing a very peculiar tie pin, it was a silver triangle with a small circle in the middle of it which in turn had a long thin strip of silver running right down the middle of triangle. Aerrow had never seen a symbol like it before and something was telling him it meant something important, but he didn't say anything about it as after all Spencer was an archaeologist who researched ancient cities and old symbols, which had lead to his trouble with the Unknown. As they said goodbye to Spencer the music switched to a slower waltz tune and Aerrow could tell by Starling's smile that he was going to have to dance. Surprisingly she didn't lead him to the dance floor but to just outside the tent where it was empty of anyone, so that they were far enough away to remain unseen by those in the tent but close enough to the light to see each other.

"I thought you might like the peace" She told him and they slowly began moving to the music. Aerrow smiled at how well she knew him. As the music died down again and they both stopped dancing neither felt like returning to the party just yet and instead sat down on one of the benches nearby. It was a calm and clear starry night which was trapped in-between summer and autumn. It was odd to think such an evening could exist given what was happening across the rest of Atmos, but Aerrow was grateful for it, it was nice to have one evening were he didn't feel he had to look up at the sky for any incoming danger.  
>"Do you remember the day we met?" Starling suddenly asked, bringing Aerrow from his thoughts as he turned and saw her looking vaguely at the tent with a sad smile.<br>"Yeh, it feels so long ago" He replied, guessing what her mind was dwelling on as the day they had met was also the day they had stopped Cyclonis from using the Aurora stone to take over Atmos.

"Everything was so simple back then, we knew who we were facing, what they could do and who we could trust" Starling replied quietly.

"It feels like were hurtling towards something, but I don't know what" Aerrow said as Starling sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I wish it would all just stop, at least just slow down" She replied.

"Were Sky Knights, for us it can't" Aerrow said quietly as Starling looked to him again with a small smile on her face.

"And yet we wouldn't want to be anyone else" She said, guessing his thoughts.  
>"Because otherwise we wouldn't be able to make a difference" Aerrow replied with a sigh. Starling nodded a little before she stood up and held out a hand to Aerrow.<p>

"Come on, they'll be missing us as the party" She said with a smile, indicating the marquee. It was when they were walking back to the tent that Aerrow heard a slight rippling sound from up above. Stopping and looking to the sky he could see what looked like a shooting star, heading for the tent. But as it drew closer he and Starling, who had followed his gaze, saw that it was a patronus in the form of a large dog. The patronus travelled through the roof of the tent and hovered right in the middle of the dance floor, silencing the crowd at once. As Aerrow and Starling reached the edge of the tent they heard a voice, Sirius's in fact, coming from the patronus.

"Ministry and Council have fallen, Minister of Magic is dead, they are coming, they are coming" The patronus warned as it faded away, causing a lot of panicked whispers and confusion at what was happening. Then the panic started. People were beginning to flee, knowing it was no longer safe where they were, as people began either running for their vehicles or dissaperated, the Aurors and Sky Knight squadrons began to gather themselves together. Aerrow could just see Piper and Finn standing together looking worried by the chaos. Then the first death eaters arrived. Travelling through the tent's roof as black streams of smoke before appearing and beginning to attack anyone still remaining behind. Aerrow, who had frozen in madness, suddenly found himself being wheeled around by Starling.

"You've got to go now!" She she insisted, though there were tears forming in her eyes.  
>"What about you?" He asked, realising with horror that neither of them had their weapons with them.<br>"I'll be fine go!" She pleaded, nearly shouted before she pulled him into a passionate kiss.

"Stay safe" He told her as he cupped a hand against her cheek which she briefly took hold of before he wrenched himself away from her grasp, not trusting himself to look back. Among the chaos of the attack, which had even set the marquee on fire, Aerrow found his team who'd managed to get together. Piper was stood in the middle of them, a crystal ready in her hand. Knowing what it was Aerrow grabbed hold of her arm as the others too ensured they were all together as the crystal transported them away.


	9. Chapter 9

They next thing they all knew the Storm Hawks found themselves in the middle of Terra Londonderry. Having to jump back to avoid a sky coach, as they had landed right on the edge of the road, they quickly stepped back onto the pavement as the driver of the vehicle honked his horn loudly at them as he drove past.

"Londonderry, why here?" Stork asked, worried about landing in one of the busiest Terra's in Atmos.

"I don't know, it just came into my head" Piper said, sounding a little panicked as they began walking quickly up the street.

"We have to get off the streets, get somewhere safe" Aerrow told them worriedly, the street they were on was quiet as it was late but it was brightly lit and vehicles with a number of people in them were still travelling by in the road. They quickly left the street and walked into one of Londonderry's many dark and murky back street alleys.

"We need to change" Piper said suddenly said as she stopped and seemed to by searching through her small beaded bag. Surprisingly they all saw that she was reaching into her bag far too deeply, in fact three quarters of her arm had disappeared into the clutch bag.

"Piper, how are you doing that?" Junko questioned as they all stared in amazement.

"Extension charm, Lupin performed it a few days ago" She replied as she began pulling out their trousers and tops. A slight toppling sound was briefly heard as she did so. "Ah, that'll be the books" She muttered.  
>"Books?" Finn asked astounded, looking at the little bag and no doubt wondering what else was in it.<p>

"I've had all the essentials packed for days, clothes, books and of course our weapons" Piper explained as she began pulling them out.

Soon they were all dressed in plain clothing with their weapons on them, although a little more concealed that normal as most people in Atmos didn't carry such a high grade of gear.

Sticking to the back streets, where the street lighting was dimmer and the only people about had no interest in anyone but themselves, the Storm Hawks came across a small and shabby looking café which was still open, despite the lack of customers. Needing somewhere to recover their thoughts and plan their next move, apart from the streets which felt exposed and dangerous, the squadron went in.

As they sat down at a table they began discussing what they could do.

"What about all the people at the wedding?" Aerrow asked in a low but worried tone, wondering what was happing to them.

"No, their after us, we'll put them all in danger if we go back" Ace whispered back, so not to be overheard by the approaching waitress. As to not arouse suspicion they all ordered a drink, although they did not want one, particularly from somewhere as shabby as this. As the waitress, board and uninterested in her work, went into the kitchen to make their order they began talking again.

"So where do we go from here?" Junko asked.

"Hogwarts?" Stork suggested, thinking about the castle that must have numerous protective enchantments on it. Piper shook her head.

"It's too dangerous, if Cyclonis has taken over the Ministry and the Council, none of the old places are safe" She said with a brief glance at Aerrow for his decision who nodded in agreement.

"Everyone from the wedding will have gone into hiding" Ace said, dropping his voice even lower as two workmen, both dress in overalls, walked in and past them as they stood at the café counter. Something about the new arrivals unnerved Aerrow at once. His fears were confirmed a second later as he saw them both, with minimal movement as if to try and not attract attention, draw out their wands.

"Down!" Aerrow shouted as the men suddenly wheeled round and send stunning spells blasting out, causing them all to dive in different directions. Aerrow was already back on his feet with his blades drawn.

"Stupify!" He shouted, sending a stunning spells colliding into one of the men which sent him flying over the counter and crashing into the wall before he crumpling to the floor. By now the other had their weapons out too as they battled against the other man, who had not been caught off guard.

Meanwhile in the kitchen on the other side of a wooden door, the waitress was completely ignorant of the skirmish that was just visible through the doors window as she was listening to music playing on a radio.

All the Storm Hawks were forced to duck as the man sent out another blasting spell. Just as Aerrow stood up, ready to stun the man, he saw his arms and legs seemingly snap together as he fell flat on the floor as rigidly as a piece of wood. Aerrow turned his head to see Piper holding out a light blue crystal which she had just used to freeze the man. It was then that the waitress came back into the café. What she saw caused her to drop the drinks she was carrying, the café was in ruins from all the spells and blasts fired, there was two uncontentious men on the floor and a group of people all holding ignited weaponry.

"Get out of here" Ace warned her. The waitress, confused and if not scared, backed back into the kitchens and out of the back door without a word.

"Lock the door and get the lights" Aerrow ordered. Finn, using the deluminator, took care of the lights whilst Ace bolted the door shut and shut the café's blinds too.

Using the light from the kitchen, which was coming through the door window, they could see the two men slumped on the floor uncontentious.

"Their death eaters both of them, they were there in the graveyard" Aerrow told them.

"What are we going to do with them, they'd kill us if it was turned around" Finn said.

"If we harm them them the others will know we were here" Ace told him.

"Yeh, suppose these two killed Moody, how would you feel them" Finn replied, with hint of anger in his tone.

"We'll wipe their memories" Aerrow told them, having made his decision. Finn nodded slightly and stepped back.

"Your the boss" He replied as Aerrow stepped up and pointed his blade at them.

"Obliviate" He said quietly, causing the men's eyes to glaze over and for them to forget the whole encounter. By the time they would wake up the Storm Hawks would be long gone.


	10. Chapter 10

Once more walking through Londonderry's streets the Storm Hawks were even more on edge.

"How did they find us?" Stork asked in a panicked whisper, glancing at any passing person for fear they would attack.

"Maybe it was the transportation crystal we used" Junko suggested. Piper shook her head.

"No, the crystal registered to the squadron and therefore to the Sky Knight but it can't be traced now, Aerrow's of age" She replied.

"We need to find somewhere" Aerrow told them as they walked down an underpass. Ace suddenly stopped walking, as if he'd had an idea.

"I think there's one place we could go" He told them.

They soon found themselves watching the hidden house of Grimmauld Place, headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, appear.

"Are you sure?" Piper asked worried as Ace pocketed the crystal used to reveal the house.

"When Dumbledore died it was abandoned, but it'll still have it's enchantments on it" He told them. Entering the house, they found it even more grimier and dustier than before. As they shut the door and stepped in a little, the lights in the hallway flickered on by themselves as if they knew someone was there. It was then at the other end of the hallway did a spiral of dust started to appear. It grew and grew as it sped towards them, frighteningly taking the form of none other than Dumbledore. As then, just as it reached them, with a hand searched out as if to attack, it was gone.

"What was that all about?" Finn asked nervously.

"Probably Moody's idea" Ace replied, sounding just as nervous. Piper, having regained her nerves produced a small black crystal.  
>"This will tell us if anyone's here, it'll fade it's colour if there is" She told them as she held it out. A few tense moments passed as they all watched the crystal. But it remained jet black. "We're alone" Piper said solemnly.<p>

"I believed, I believed another wand, no no, I believed a different wand would work I swear, there must be another way" Olivander begged as Cyclonis tortured him with the Crucio spell again and again. That was when Aerrow woke up. The early morning light was coming through the drawing room's windows and birdsong could be heard from outside. Sitting up on the coach he'd slept on, Aerrow saw the rest of his team were all still asleep, they had all decided to sleep in the same room just in case anything happened. Piper and Finn were closest with Piper on the opposite coach and Finn on the floor next to it, their hands were so close to each others Aerrow wondered if they had fallen asleep holding hands. Ace, Junko and Stork were all sleeping on armchairs dotted about the room, who Aerrow sneaked past on his way out of the room.

Climbing the worn and creaking staircase, holding a torch for light Aerrow soon came to a landing with two doors, both of which leading into bedrooms which looked as of they'd gone unused in years. Closing the door again, having found nothing of importance, not that he had expected to, Aerrow heard Stork's voice from the floor below, calling their names urgently.

"Stork what is it?" Aerrow said as he jogged down the stairs to the landing Stork was on as the others came up the stairs. Stork pointed to a door, which was half opened. Stepping into the doorway all they saw was a disused bedroom.

"Lovely" Piper said, confused at what Stork had found. Stork then pulled the door shut a little so that the others took notice of it and of the name on the door.

"Regulas Arcturus" Aerrow read out.

"That was Sirius's brother, he died years ago" Ace said.

"Wait you don't think?" Aerrow said, realising something as he looked to Piper who had the same idea.

"R.A, from the locket" She said.

Sitting at the kitchen table Aerrow was reading out the R..A's note again with the fake locket in the table in front of him.

"If he found the real horcruex, did he actually destroy it?" Finn asked as they all sat around the table, unsure of what to do. Then the heard a rattling sound, very close to them, sounding as if it was in the same room. Rising slowly out of their seats, and drawing their weapons as the rattling continued, coming from a pantry, they slowly walked over. Ace reached the door first and, as the others stood in position to attack if needed too, he opened the door.


	11. Chapter 11

It was Kreacher standing in the pantry, which looked as if he'd turned it into his den as there were ragged blankets and stolen items from the house piled inside.

"Kreacher, Being spying on us have you?" Ace said annoyed as he dragged the house elf out of the pantry and into the kitchen. "Don't hurt him" Piper pleaded as Ace released his grip and Kreacher put the table between him and them.

"Kreacher has been watching" The house elf said in a low and grumbling voice.  
>"Maybe he knows where the real horcruex is" Finn suggested, knowing Kreacher like to steal items from the house were Regulas Arcturus used to live. Aerrow picked up the locket and walked up to Kreacher, who was hiding himself behind the table.<p>

"You ever seen this before?" Aerrow asked "Kreacher" he added as Kreacher looked as if he wasn't going to answer.

"It's master Regulas's locket" He answered, having to comply with any order given by an Order of the Phoenix member.

"There were two weren't there, where the other one?" Aerrow asked as he dangled the locket from it's chain.

"Oh, Kreacher doesn't know where the other locket is" Kreacher answered.

"Yes but did you ever see it, was it in this house?" Piper asked, stepping forward a little. Kreacher took as few moments before reluctantly answering.  
>"Yes, it was here, in this house, the most evil object" He said.<p>

"How'd you mean?" Aerrow asked.

"Before master Regulas died he ordered Kreacher to destroy it but no matter how hard Kreacher tried he could not do it" Kreacher answered as he came out from behind the table.

"Well where is it now, did someone take it?" Aerrow asked as the others watched. Kreacher slowly nodded.

"He came in the night, he took many things including the locket" He replied.

"Who, who was it Kreacher?" Aerrow asked.

"Mundungus" Kreacher spat the name.  
>"Find him" Aerrow ordered, having got the impression stealing from homes wasn't below Mundungus. Kreacher nodded and dissaperated, leaving the Storm Hawks only able to wait for his return.<p>

Across Atmos death eaters were out on the streets, unmasked and unhooded, doing as they pleased and on the look out for any wanted enemies. The Ministry of Magic, in stark contrast to the Sky Knight council which had been shut down and it's hall boarded up, was a hive of activities as the new Minister for Magic, Pius, stood addressing all of the Ministry employees whilst just to the side of the hall, newspapers and leaflets were being distributed with the title, 'Undesirable Number One', which had a photograph of Aerrow underneath.

"As your new Minister of Magic I promise to restore this temple of tolerance to it's former glory" Pius announce as he stood in front of the only change in the repaired fountain hall, the statue, not the golden sculpture of a man and woman holding wands but instead was a cold grey block with a golden symbol on each of the sides saying 'Power Is Might'. Standing besides of the Minister was Umbridge who had previously severed as sectary to Cornelius, the man with a hard, blunt face and a dirty blond ponytail who had been at Cyclonis's meeting and a tall and heavily built man who worked at the Ministry called Runcorn. "Therefore beginning today each employee will submit themselves, for evaluation" Pius said with a slight pause as the crowd parted to revel a group of shabby looking but confident looking men half dragging a beaten and weakened man through the hall with the leader, who was walking at the front, giving a slight bow to the Minister as they walked through. "But know this you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide" He informed the crowd as Umbridge, gleeful by the change in policy, gave a slight giggle in her high girlish voice, sounding like poisoned honey.

In a darked street, people were not lingering in their business as dodgy dealings were occurring all around the run down and boarded up shops and homes. Among the crooks and scoundrels was Mundungus. Having completed a deal, ripping the man off of course, he began to walk through a back street ally, before his customer realised he'd been tricked. But Mundungus never got to the other end of the ally as someone dissaperated next to him before grabbing him and dissaperating them both away.


	12. Chapter 12

At Grimmauld Place the Storm Hawks were all sat in the drawing room they'd slept in waiting for Kreacher's return. Piper was sat with Finn at the rooms dusty piano, Piper, who could play quite well having learnt as a child, was teaching him a simple tune, laughing a little as Finn tried to play. Aerrow was sat in a chair close to the lit fireplace, staring into the flames as he turned events over in his mind.

"I was thinking, the note Dumbledore left you, its meaning..." Ace, who was sat in the chair opposite, began as he held the letter in front of him.

"He was talking about the horcruexs" Aerrow said, not taking his eyes away from the fire.

"Question is which one is it?" Piper asked as she came over from the piano. She then pulled out the two destroyed lockets, leaving the third 'horcruex' in her extended bag, and placed the diary and ring on the table.

"I thought Scrimgeour was expecting something when he handed the note over" Finn said as he joined them.

"No doubt he was the one who opened the letter" Aerrow said as he picked up the diary and flicked through the pierced and stained pages. "What's Dumbledore trying to tell me?" He said, more to himself as he threw the diary back on the table.

"What about the ring?" Junko suggested. Aerrow looked at the small ring for a moment before picking it up. For a moment everyone watched the ring, almost expecting something. But nothing did, frustrated Aerrow dropped the ring back on the table and stood up from his chair and began to pace. The others sighed in disappointment, but then Ace noticed something.

"Look at the ring!" He said excitedly. They others turned, but at first glance nothing seemed to have changed, until Ace picked it up and indicated the slim bang of gold the stone was set on. Words had appeared and engraved themselves on it.

"I open at the close" Aerrow read the words aloud as they all gathered around where Ace was holding it.

"What does that mean?" Finn asked, looking as confused as everyone else. A sudden crash rang out from the floor below making them all jump.

"What was that?" Stork said fearfully as the others grabbed their weapons and made for the door. With a groan Stork reluctantly followed them.

As they entered the kitchen, where the noise was coming from, they saw that Kreacher had returned with Mundungus, who was currently trying to throw the house elf off his back as Kreacher tried to restrain the man at one of the kitchens other doors.

"Get off me" Mundungus grunted as he toppled down the stairs of the door way, having not focused on where he was going when trying to get free.

"As requested, I have returned with the thief Mundungus" Kreacher told them as Mundungus stood up, banging his head on the pan rail as he did so.

"Expelliarmus" Aerrow said casting the disarming spell at him with his blade, seeing the wand in his hand when flew up and was caught by Finn, who placed it on the table.

"What's your plan, sending a house elf on me" Mundungus mumbled as he walked around to the other side of the kitchen table, thought all of the exits were behind the Storm Hawks and enchantments on the house made dissaperating impossible.

"Listen I panicked that night aright, can I help it if Moody fell of his skimmer, it's aright for you but I not used to having the dark master chasing me all over the skies" Mundungus continued to garble as he backed into a corner of the room, knocking a pile of old newspapers over as the Storm Hawks drew in with their weapons still in hand.

"Mundungus if you shut up for a minute you'll hear why your here" Ace said, in a louder voice than normal in order to stop the man's rambling. Mundungus sank into an armchair which was in the corner, looking fearful at not being able to lie, cheat or trick his way out.

"When you this place over, don't deny it" Aerrow warned as Mundungus began to speak. "You found a locket, am I right?" Aerrow continued to ask.

"Why, was it valuable?" Mundungus asked back, sounding confident again, though shrank back a little as Kreacher jabbed his own wand,which Kreacher had picked up, at him.

"You've still got it?" Piper asked.

"No I bet he's wondering that he didn't get enough for it" Finn said, glaring at the thief.

"Bleeding give it away didn't I" Mundungus told them sulkily. "There I was flogging me wears on street, when some Ministry hag comes up and asks to see me licence, says she's a mind to lock me up, and would have do too if she hadn't taken a fancy to that locket" He explained, sounding defeated.

"Who was she?" Aerrow asked.

"I don't know, I..." Mundungus began to say, but trailed off as he took notice of the newspapers he'd knocked over. "Well, she's there, look" He said picking up a paper from not so long ago. A sense of dread ran through the Storm Hawks as they saw the image, it was Cornelius's old sectary Umbridge. Her photo was underneath the headline which read 'Umbridge appointed head of evaluation committee'. They had found the lockets location, but it was going to be near impossible to get it.


	13. Chapter 13

Londonderry's streets were as busy as normal as people rushed to get to work. Finn was peeping around a buildings corner as he saw who they were waiting for walking in their direction. Hiding behind the corner again Finn turn to look down the street he was on where he could see Aerrow, just visible at the beginnings of an alleyway, who nodded back to say he was ready. As the woman, dressed in a skirt suit, reached the corner Finn had been at Finn was halfway down the street, walking away from her. Just as the woman was walking past the entrance of the alleyway he pretended to bend down and tie his shoe laces which was when Aerrow appeared and stunned her from behind, also catching the woman as she crumpled and dragged her into the ally, with Finn following. Setting the woman down besides the three men they had already captured Piper, who had been waiting with the others further in the ally, plucked a few hairs from the woman's head whilst Aerrow duplicated the four peoples clothes, using the same spell Moody had done on the Condor, they also took their wands too even though they were useless to Ace, Piper and Finn it looked more convincing whilst their real weapons were concealed.

"Remember don't speak to anyone unless absolutely necessary, try to act normal, do what everyone else is doing and with a bit of luck we'll get inside, and then..." Piper began to run over the plan again.

"It gets really tricky" Finn finished her sentence as she handed him, Aerrow and Ace each a vile of Polyjuice potion, which she had been given by Lupin as he extended her bag, whilst holding one herself. Junko and Stork would just changed their clothes and hairstyle a little as Wallops and Merbs were less distinguishable.

"This is mental" Stork told them all, as he had been doing so since they came up with the plan.

"Completely, but so is Atmos at the moment" Aerrow said as he tried not to look at the grey, lumpy and bubbling potion as the revolting smell was nearly making him wrench.

"Were going to have to drink this?" Finn said, also looking revolted at the potion along with Ace and Piper.

"Yep, cheers" She said as they all forced it down in one gulp. If the look had smell had been bad the taste was horrendous. Nearly throwing it back up, Aerrow, Ace, Finn and Piper all began changing into the people slumped in front of them and soon there were two sets of the same people standing in the alleyway. Piper had turned into the woman they had just stunned, Aerrow had the appearance of a tall and well built man who had in fact been standing next to the Minister of Magic at the employee meeting, Finn was now a middle aged man with ginger hair and moustache whilst Ace changed into a man with light brown hair and grey eyes.

After changing their clothes they all left the ally and began walking for the Ministry of Magic building. Upon reaching the lifts, making sure they did not all go down together and cause suspicion, the Storm Hawks soon found themselves in the large entrance hallway that lead up to the fountain area. As if to challenge their nerve the hall was full of uniformed guards all on patrol, two of these guards were escorting a very surprised and now frightened man from the hall just meters from Aerrow. Meeting with the others near the fountain, and it new and grim statue, they all began looking around for where to start looking for Umbridge.

"We'll each take a floor, if anyone finds her just take the locket and get out, we'll meet back at the house" Aerrow told them in a low voice.

"How long did you say this potion would last Piper?" Finn asked as they dauntingly realised how much ground they had to cover.

"I didn't" She replied, sounding a little unnerved. Reaching the internal lifts, the doors were just about to close when the man with a hard blunt face and a dirty blond plait, who had been at Cyclonis's meeting, stopped the doors from shutting with his hand.

"Reganuld" He said, addressing Finn. "It's still raining inside my office, that's two days now" The man said a deep and dangerous tone.

"Have you tried an umbrella?" Finn joked nervously. The man's face flickered with annoyance before it turned a little more sinister.

"You do realise I'm going downstairs Reganuld to interrogate your wife" The man said menacingly.  
>"Now if my wife had been accused of harbouring wanted fugitives, and the head of the department of law enforcement needed a job doing, I think I might just make that a priority, you have one hour" The man threatened before he walked off and allowed the lift to move up.<p>

"What am I going to do, my wife's all alone downstairs" Finn said in a panicked voice.

"Finn, you don't have a wife" Aerrow reminded him.  
>"Oh, yeah, right" Finn replied, calming down a little.<p>

Soon the lift had taken them up three floors where Ace, Stork and Junko had each got out at one. Upon reaching the fourth floor Finn, who still was meant to stop the man's office from raining, looked panicked. "I can't do magic, how do I stop it" He said panicked.

"Here try this, it's a solar crystal and if that doesn't work say you've got to go and find someone" Piper told him as she handed him a burnt orange crystal. Finn didn't look confident of the plan as he stepped out and watch the lift travel on up.

"I say if we don't locate Umbridge within the hour we come back and try again another day" Aerrow said to Piper and the lift came to halt again.

"Agreed" She said back. It was then that the lift doors opened and Aerrow and Piper found themselves face to face with none other than Umbridge herself.


	14. Chapter 14

Umbridge, dressed in a revolting bright pink cardigan and skirt, was stood at the lift doors with a clipboard in front of her.

"Ah, Mafalda, Travis sent you did he, good we'll go straight down to the courtroom" She said to Piper in her high pitched girlie voice as she stepped into the lift. "Runcorn aren't you getting out?" She asked Aerrow, who gave a slight nod and reluctantly, as to not create suspicion, left Piper to to travel back down in the lift with Umbridge. The floor he was on seemed to lead to executive offices and whilst he was here Aerrow thought he'd best see if Umbridge had and office, in case she's left the locket in there. As he walked further down the corridor, which had a thick purple carpet that muffled his footsteps and black tiled walls, Aerrow came across a large open office space in the corridor itself. The workers were seemingly preparing leaflets for distribution and were all moving at the same dull pace.

"Runcorn" The Minister of Magic, who was rushing past with half a dozen workers following each carrying piles of paperwork, suddenly walked past and greeted to him. Directly opposite the open office area Aerrow found Umbridge's office door, which had a sickening addition. Moody's enchanted eye was mounted into the door, presumably so that the outside of the office could be seen from the inside. Guessing that whoever he had the appearance of was senior enough to enter one of the offices Aerrow let himself in. the inside of the office was just as pink and sickly as Umbridge herself, drawing his blade from it's hiding place underneath Runcorn's heavy coat Aerrow pointed it at the office.

"Accio locket" He whispered, nothing happened. Knowing he didn't have long, in case anyone else entered or if the others got into trouble, Aerrow began searching through her cabinets and desk draws where he found one of the leaflets the workers were distributing outside. It read 'Sky Knight squadrons, unfit for service'. What was underneath made Aerrow even angrier. There was a pile of files, each on a Sky Knight. Flipping through his found his at the top, which had a wanted poster attached to it, then there was Cedric's, with a large red cross through his photograph and the he came to Starling's file, despite the lack of time he found himself sitting down and skimming the top report, it was just underneath her photograph that Aerrow saw a worrying find. It read 'Status – Previously tracked now missing'. Aerrow could only hope she was aright as he everything away, having searched everywhere, before leaving the office.

Having slipped out of the office unnoticed again Aerrow was back in one of the lifts. As it stopped at the floors on it's way down Stork, Junko and Ace luckily found him, having not found the horcruex either. Aerrow was halfway through telling them what he'd found in Umbridge's offices when the lift stopped again and a very soaked Finn walked into the lift.  
>"Morning" He mumbled, not realising who he was talking to.<p>

"Finn it's us" Junko pointed out.

"Oh, blimey I forgot what you all looked like, where's Piper?" Finn asked.

"She's gone downstairs with Umbridge, to the courtrooms" Aerrow replied, thought where downstairs he didn't know.

In one of the courtrooms, which were on the level below the entrance hall, a very scared looking woman was sat on a wooden chair in the middle of the room whilst Umbridge sat at the Judge's podium with the man in charge of law enforcement at one side of her and Piper at the other.

Meanwhile the other Storm Hawks had found the courtrooms, one level below the entrance hall.

"It's cold down here" Stork muttered as they walked away from the lift and down the black tiled corridor. As they were walking down they saw a man, who looked terrified, being half dragged by two guards back towards the lift.

"I never helped them, I swear, all I did was repair one of their skimmers once, but it was years ago" The man begged as he was dragged. It took all their efforts and focus for the Storm Hawks not to do anything to help the man as they forced themselves to walk on to the courtrooms.

As they reached the one that they could see, through the open doorway, had Umbridge and Piper sitting in, they lingered for a few moments in the shadowy doorway in order to hear what was going on. That was when they saw what had been causing the cold temperature in the corridor. There were perhaps ten or so Dementors gliding near the roof of the courtroom, kept only back by Umbridge's patronus, which had taken the form of a cat.

"Mary Elizabeth, resident of Terra Tamoura, wife of Reganuld and mother to Daisy, Ellie and Alfred?" Umbridge began to question the woman sat in the wooden chair. As she was doing so Aerrow had begun to get a very peculiar feeling.

"I think the lockets here" He whispered to the others. It was here and Umbridge, having taken here cardigan off, was wearing it around her neck. The woman who was being questioned nodded nervously before she seemed to spot Aerrow and the others in the doorway.  
>"Reg?" She whispered to Finn, sounding a bit more confident. Seeing Finn freeze up Aerrow, to avoid suspicion, grabbed hold of his jacket and pushed him in so that he was stood besides his 'wife'.<p>

"Thank you Runcorn, and who are these?" Umbridge asked, noticing Ace, Junko and Stork.

"Just here to, see what we do here" Aerrow replied, hoping he sounded confident. Umbridge seemed to accept his answer and proceeded to continue with the questioning.

"Mary Elizabeth, I wish to ask some questions regarding your boarding house, the Tamoura inn" Umbridge told the woman as she read from her papers. "Would you please tell the court how many wanted Sky Knight squadrons and other undesirables you have given lodgings too?" Umbridge continued to asked.

"I done any such thing, those who stay at my inn are all families on holiday, I don't get and squadrons or Aurors staying" Mary Elizabeth denied as Finn tried to comfort his 'wife'. Umbridge leaned forward a little, obviously loving what she was doing.  
>"Your lying" She told the woman, having already decided the woman's guilt. "Now who stayed there and where are they now?" She asked as the Mary Elizabeth grew more distraught. Whilst this was happening Aerrow had slowly begun to walk around the edge of the courtroom.<p>

"I don't know, tell them Reg tell them" Mary Elizabeth begged Finn, thinking her was her husband. Aerrow was getting close to Umbridge now, she was just elevated slightly on the bench that were facing the court, Piper had already noticed him walking towards them and kept stealing glances with warning eyes. As he drew even closer Aerrow thought he could hear a slight grinding noise coming from the locket, as if it was ticking over. Aerrow then slipped the hilt of his blade slightly out of it's new concealment place, up the thankfully wide sleeves of Runcorn's coat, so that it was ready to be drawn quickly.

"Runcorn, what are you doing?" Umbridge asked confused as she took notice of Aerrow's strange behaviour.

"You shouldn't have tracked those Sky Knights Umbridge, Stupify" Aerrow shouted, pulling his blade out fully and stunning Umbridge uncontentious. Piper, sitting right next to her, yanked the horcruex from her neck and ran down to them as the spells and blasts started flying from both sides. A shot from Ace's blade knocked the man sitting next to Umbridge out cold too, but as Umbridge was uncontentious her patronus was fading and the Dementors were beginning to get through the barrier. 


	15. Chapter 15

"We've gotta go" Finn told Mary Elizabeth, who had sat watching frozen in shock, as he brought her to the door way she seemed to look at Aerrow.

"Wait, your with the Storm Hawks aren't you?" She asked him. Aerrow looked confused for a moment.

"What, damn the potion" He said, noticing a strand of his hair that he could just see hanging over his eye. It was red, the Polyjuice potion had worn off. The others were beginning to show their own features again, Ace's eyes were dark red, Piper's hair was turning midnight blue. "Come on!" He told them as they began racing down the corridor, just as the last of Umbridge's patronus barrier faded and the Dementors gave chase.

Reaching the lift and slamming the guard doors behind them, the Dementors started putting their skeleton hands through the gaps in the meal work and, although they were not reaching them, they were still able to start sucking all of the happiness feeling from everyone until Aerrow managed to draw his blade around and send his patronus hawk at them. As the patronus knocked the Dementors back down the corridor the lift thankfully started moving again.

By the time they left the lift not only Aerrow but Piper and Ace too were back to themselves. They could only start walking through the lift area and towards the exits as they hoped no one would give them a second glance. Mary Elizabeth was still clinging onto Finn, who had not yet changed back.

"Mary, go home, get the kids, I'll meet you there we have to go into hiding do you understand?" He told her as she whimpered slightly. "Mary do as I say" Finn told her as the others stood in the entrance to the fountain area watching them. Mary Elizabeth then, still thinking he was her husband, took hold of Finn's head and kissed him passionately. As the others looked on stunned, what made things worse was that Finn had changed back whilst she was kissing him. Mark Elizabeth only noticed when she stopped kissing him and stepped back in shock. It was then someone pushed pass the other Storm Hawks, oblivious to who they were. It was the real Reganuld, who must have come round and wandered into the Ministry.

"Mary, who's that?" He asked confused at seeing her kiss someone wearing the exact same clothes as him. His wife could only start gasping at the shock of it all.

"Long story, nice meeting you" Finn said with a nervous chuckle as he ran back to the others as they started to make their way out. Then people started noticing them.

"It's the undesirable number one" One man shouted.  
>"The Storm Hawks, it's them" Another voice shouted. More and more voices started pointing them out as they reached the fountain area. Ordinary workers weren't stopping to grab them, instead they were making their way clear as if they were too surprised to do so.<p>

"There he is, get him" A sterner voice shouted. It belonged to one the guards, who had all grouped together and were running at them from one side of the fountain, forcing them to change direction.

As this was happening the head of law enforcement, having come round, exited one of the lifts and made his way to the entrance hall where he started to fire spells at the Storm Hawks, which were luckily deflected off the fountain statue. As they ran Piper had managed to pull out a transportation crystal, but they had to get clear of everyone first to use it otherwise they would take anyone touching them with them. As the began running down the corridor to the external lifts, with the head of law enforcement right behind them, Aerrow manage to bewitch a pile of ironically his own wanted posters to fly about uncontrollably, batting and slowing their pursuers down a little. But the head of law enforcement managed to get through and, seeing them head for the lifts started sprinting after them. The Strom Hawks dived into the lift, but just the transportation crystal took them away, the head of law enforcement dived in after them and disappeared too.

The transportation, instead of being near instant became a horrible swirling blur as they seemingly landed somewhere before a shriek and a bang was heard, and them Aerrow found himself lying in a forest far from Terra Londonderry. Turning his head to the side he saw the locket horcruex lying a little distance away and leapt up and grabbed hold of it. Then he froze at what he also saw in the forest. Finn was lying on the floor badly injured, his arm looked as if a large chuck of his skin was missing.  
>"Aright Finn, your going to be fine" Ace said as he looked over the wound whilst Piper knelt by Finn's head and soothed him.<p>

"Aerrow, in Piper's bag there's a bottle, essence of dinity, I need it quick" Ace told Aerrow, who noticed Piper's extended bag, which she had taken into the Ministry, on the ground near him. "Quickly" Ace urged again as Junko and Stork came up from where they had landed. Unable to feel the little bottle among everything else in the bag Aerrow pointed his blade and said.

"Accio dinity" And the little bottle jumped out of the bag which he caught and handed it over to Ace. "What happened?" Aerrow asked, their plan having been to go back to Grimmauld Place, as Ace ripped off Finn's sleeve for better access to the wound.

"When we transported the man grabbed hold and tried to force the crystal somewhere else, and he saw the house, where it was and I knew we couldn't stay there, so I blasted him away and I, I forced it to go elsewhere" Piper rushed in a panic, upset even more as Finn yelled out in pain as Ace poured drops of the dinity into his wound, causing the skin to start to close up and heal.

"What happened with Finn?" Junko asked worried.  
>"Splinched, it happens when you think of one place but allow the transportation crystal to take you somewhere else, he must have thought about Grimmauld Place only" Ace said as he finished with the dinity and allowed Finn a few moments to recover from the pain whilst they all recover their breaths. Piper then turned to Aerrow.<p>

"The enchantments, the protective ones, they need to go up" She told him. Aerrow nodded, having practised and managed to put them on the Condor, which included making the area they were in seem empty and subconsciously make them not walk there. As he walked around in a wide circle casting them he could only hope they would be enough.


	16. Chapter 16

The next day having set up a camp, including the tent they had used last of the Quiddich world cup all from Piper's extended bag, the Storm Hawks were all sat or stood outside, each looking at the locket horcruex, which was sitting on the top of a fallen log right next to the tent, in silence.

"Shouldn't we destroy it?" Stork asked, looking at the locket with a fearful expression.

"No, not yet" Aerrow said as he too glanced at the locket.

"What, why not?" Finn, who's arm had been bandaged, questioned in a shocked tone.

"Because the whole of Atmos is looking for us and yesterday will have but them on high alert, we can't risk moving anywhere just now" Aerrow told him, having made up his mind during the night.

"So when can we destroy it?" Junko asked, looking to Aerrow, who seemed to consider for a moment.

"I don't think we should until we find another horcruex" He told them all. Finn seemed frustrated by this plan.

"That could be ages away, we don't even know what they are" He said, voicing everyone's concerns.

"I know Finn, but you said yourself, their pieces of her soul she'll feel it, and if we destroy one of them a day after we've been spotted she'll know something is up" Aerrow told him, sounding frustrated himself.

"Meaning she'll increase her guard on the others" Ace said as Aerrow nodded, both knowing how Cyclonis would react if any aspect of her plan would be jeopardised.

"What about the Chamber of Secrets, we could use the Basilisk's fangs there when it's safe to destroy the locket" Piper suggested.

"Yeh, but I'd prefer not too, she knows about the chamber, if we find another way she doesn't know about it'll be easier" Aerrow replied as he walked over to to the locket and picked it up.

"What are you doing?" Piper asked as Aerrow hung the locket around his neck and tucked it under his shirt.  
>"We have to keep it safe until we can destroy it" He replied.<p>

A few evenings later Aerrow was sat outside the tent as he held the destroyed horcruex ring which had the engraved words on them. The words had been irritating him, 'I open at the close'. The words were glittering in the light if the setting sun but he still had no idea of their meaning. Aerrow sighed as he pocketed the ring, whatever Dumbledore had wanted him to find from the words he was sure the meaning would become clear soon. Piper was a short distance away, finishing her collection of firewood, whist the others were inside the tent, from which Aerrow could hear the crackling of the radio they'd brought. Subconsciously Aerrow pulled out the horcruex locket and began turning it in his hand. The grinding noise coming from the locket seemed to be growing louder, before he knew it Aerrow couldn't hear the radio anymore for the noise. That was when the vision started, Aerrow saw a dark and dingy shop in a small snow-covered village, the door of the shop opened and the next image showed the inside of the building where dusty rectangular boxes were piled up against the walls as a scruffy and worn elderly man backed away fearfully into one of the aisles between the boxes. A bang sent some of the boxes flying out of the shelves as the man fell and crawled backwards on the floor, beginning to sob with fear.

"It was stolen from me" The man begged as a wand, held in the hand of Cyclonis herself, was pointed at him.

"Who was the thief?" She whispered menacingly. Not waiting for the man to answer Cyclonis invaded his mind, the next image showed a door which opened to reveal a workshop where a young man with bark brown hair was crouched on a open window ledge, also holding a wand, before he jumped out of the window and disappeared into the stormy night. As Aerrow saw this he also heard the man beg again.

"He came in the night, and I never saw it again, I swear on my life" The man said as the vision retuned to him and Cyclonis.

"I believe you" Cyclonis whispered with a cruel smile as she stood over the cowering man. She then sent a killing curse at him, killing the man instantly. That was when the vision ended as Aerrow found himself sitting outside the tent again, breathing heavily and sweating. then he noticed Piper, holding a pile of firewood, watching him.

"I thought it had stopped" She said quietly. Aerrow didn't answer her, not wanting any grievance over it.

"She's just killed someone, I think she's after something, and she wants it badly" He told her as she sat down in front of him. The radio cackled again as it settled on a station, one which had started recently and sole purpose was to read out names of those who had been killed or had disappeared. Aerrow snapped his head round at the tent in annoyance.

"Don't, Finn finds it comforting" Piper told him.

"It sets me on edge, what's he expecting to hear, good news?" Aerrow asked back with a sigh.

"He doesn't like waiting around like this, and I think he's just not hoping to hear bad news" Piper told him quietly.

"He's not the only one" Aerrow replied quietly. "How long before he can travel?" He asked her as he stood up.  
>"Ace said a few more days" She told him. "It's the best we can do" She added as she saw him turn his head away and sigh in frustration.<p>

"Well it's not good enough!" He suddenly snapped at her as he began to walk away from the tent, as the enchantments barriers were a good distance away.

"Take it off" Piper told him, making Aerrow stop to turn back and face her. "Take it off, I said take it off now you've been wearing it all day" She told him again as she walked up to him. Not seeing what difference it would make Aerrow took the locket off and handed it to her. "Better?" She asked.

"Loads" Aerrow replied, feeling much happier and lighter from the second he handed the locket over to her.

"We'll take it in turns ok?" She said before walking back to the tent.


	17. Chapter 17

Night had fallen over the woods. Piper was sat next to the camp fire just outside the tent, all of them taking turns to keep watch, when she heard a rustling sound. Inside the tent Aerrow was the only one awake as switched off the radio, which Finn had fallen asleep listening to. Outside, after hearing the rustling continue, Piper had decided to walk a little away from the tent. As she held her staff in one hand, whilst noticing her breathing had become louder, she ventured towards the boundaries of the protective enchantments. That was when she saw a few silhouettes walking through the forest just a little further ahead. As she reached the boarder, Piper saw the silhouettes become people as they began walking past her. One was a tall man with long tangled brown hair whilst the other two, who were carrying a man and a woman who looked to still and pale to be alive, looked shorter and more heavily built.  
>"Wait, what's that?" The man with the long brown hair said as he stopped directly opposite Piper. Trying to remember that the man couldn't see her, owing to the enchantments which made him think he only saw empty woodland, Piper felt herself take a sharp intake of breath as the man walked up and stood inches from her. "What's that smell?" The man asked, his voice slightly muffled by the enchantments barrier. For a few moments the man stood there and although her could only see more forest he seemed to still be suspicious. A solid thump sound made the man turn as he saw one of the other two men standing over the body he'd just dropped on the floor as if it was a sack. "What you doing?" The man asked him.<p>

"It's heavy" The other man replied.  
>"Oh sorry do you want some help?" The man asked as he walked away, leaving Piper to breath out again after the encounter, the other man nodded as he saw the question as a general offer. "You idiot, come on pick it up now" The man told him as the body was grabbed again and the three men walked away.<p>

"Snatchers" Aerrow's voice suddenly sounded, just behind Piper. She turned to see him as he stopped besides her. "Good to know the enchantments worked" He added, although his voice was calm Piper could see the anger in his eyes as he glance at where the Snatchers had been, who were paid to capture those who were wanted by the Ministry or more accurately Cyclonis.  
>"He could smell it, my perfume" She told him, her voice sounding a little shaken. They then began walking back to the tent. As they were walking down the slope which lead to the little valley where the tent was pitched Finn, who had woken to find both Aerrow and Piper gone, stepped out of the tent. He saw them walking back, neither of them noticing him, he also heard the last of their conversation where Aerrow had told Piper not to wear anymore perfume.<p>

Over the next few weeks the Storm Hawks travelled all over Atmos, sometimes only staying in a place for one night. Once whilst camping in an abandoned barn they saw three stream of black smoke, each belonging to a death eater, pass overhead. Another time they camped on the banks of a large lake, surrounded by mountains which were constantly snowcapped. Aerrow was stood at the edge of the lake, chucking stones into the water in silence, whilst Piper, Finn and Ace sat outside the tent, with Junko and Stork inside.  
>"He doesn't know what he's doing does he?" Finn asked grimly.<br>"None of us do" Ace replied, sounding just as grim. Every night as the travelled Finn always made sure he listened to the radio listings of those who'd gone missing and been killed. One night, after camping in on the banks of another lake, the Storm Hawks were all sat in the tent in silence as they read, completed unimportant tasks or in Finn's case led on their bed doing nothing at all. Aerrow was sat on a chair, placed near the entrance of the tent, as Piper stood behind cutting his hair as best she could with a pair of scissors. "Oh my" She suddenly said, realised something, before she went over to the dining room table, just to the side.

"What?" Aerrow asked her, clutching the back of his head in worry as he turned round to face her as the others too looked up.

"Just a minute" She replied as she rapidly flipped through the number of books she'd packed, including Aerrow's spell book.  
>"Piper what is it?" Aerrow asked again as he and the others gathered round the table.<br>"The sword of Griffindor, it's goblin made!" Piper exclaimed excitedly. The others didn't share her excitement, they were more confused than anything.  
>"I remember Dumbledore mentioning it, but..." Ace begin, looking confused of it's significance as they all looked at Piper for an explanation.<p>

"Because of that it repels dirt, rust or wear and it only takes in what makes it stronger" She told them as she pointed to a page in one of her books.

"So...?" Junko inquired, all of them still unaware of what it meant.

"Remember how we destroyed the last horcruex" Piper told them.

"Yeh with a basilisk's fang, but I don't see how..."Aerrow began.

"What did you do before that?" Piper told him, trying to make him remember. Aerrow shrugged.  
>"I stabbed the basilisk with the sword" He replied. Then the realisation hit him.<p>

"What is it?" Stork asked, seeing both Aerrow and Piper with the same joyful look.  
>"The sword got covered in basilisk's venom" Aerrow told them all.<br>"Meaning, it took on the venom" Ace said quietly as he too realised what it meant.

"It can destroy horcruexs, that's why Dumbledore left it to me, he knew we wouldn't risk going back to the chamber, if we could just find it" Aerrow said excitedly as he sat down opposite her and began reading the page she'd indicated.

"Wait, Dumbledore left you the loyalty of Fawkes, his Phoenix, didn't it bring you the sword last time?" Ace asked Aerrow.

"Yeh, but I don't think Fawkes will come on it's own but there has to be a way of calling him" Aerrow replied.

"Dumbledore's words, in his will, they were an instruction for Fawkes, help will be given to those who ask for it" Piper reminded them.

"How do you ask for help to a Phoenix?" Stork asked.

"I don't know but there'll be a way and it means we'll be able to start destroying them horcruexs, brilliant Piper" Aerrow said as he praised her.

"It's nothing, you just have to follow the clues, it just highly logical allowing me to look past the tiniest details" She told him as he and the others beamed at her. Then the lights all around the tent went out.


	18. Chapter 18

A shadow, standing just besides the entrance to the tent, came into view.  
>"The sword was stolen" Finn's voice sounded from the shadow as he then used the deluminator to give the light back to the lights. "Yeh, I'm still here, but you lot carry on, don't let me spoil the fun" Finn, who had not been at the table, said sounding and looking darkly moody.<p>

"What's wrong?" Aerrow asked as he shut the book and looked at him.

"Wrong, nothings wrong, not according to you anyway" Finn replied sourly.

"What's that supposed to mean, come on spit it out?" Aerrow asked, not liking Finn's tone as the others watched worriedly.

"Aright I'll spit it out, but just don't expect me to be grateful now there's another damn thing we've got to find" Finn told him in a tone sounding irritated, even angered.

"Finn if we find the sword we can destroy the locket and the other horcruexs" Ace said, trying to explain.

"We've had a way to destroy them for months, the chamber of secrets" Finn snapped back.  
>"Have you not been listening, we can't risk it" Aerrow told him, beginning to sound irritated.<br>"This whole mission is a risk" Finn replied, sounding moodier than before.

"I know, but charging into one of her own hiding places when she may know we've been there, that sort of recklessness will get us killed" Aerrow frustratingly tried to tell him.  
>"Never stopped you before" Finn muttered back.<br>"Times have changed Finn, we can't risk being stupid when were the only ones who know how to stop her" Aerrow replied, trying to stay calm.

"Yeh because we were the only ones stupid enough to charge into it" Finn retorted.  
>"I though you knew what you were signing up for?" Aerrow asked, now standing up.<p>

"Yeah I though I did too" Finn said bitterly.

"Well what did you expect, that it would be easy, that we'd be done in a few days and that it'll all be over in a flash?" Aerrow asked sourly as he walked up to Finn.

"I just though after all this time, we would have actually achieved something, I though you knew what you were doing, I though Dumbledore would have taught you something worthwhile, I thought you had a plan" Finn spat out.  
>"I have told you everything he told me and in case you haven't noticed we have found a horcruex already" Aerrow replied, pointing to the locket which was currently hung around Finn's neck.<p>

"And where's the sword, or the rest of them, face it you've been out of your depth since she returned" Finn retaliated as Piper, worry showing on her face, walked up to Finn.  
>"Finn, the locket, you wouldn't be saying these things without it on, please take it off" She said, sounding tearful as she tried to take the locket off. Finn, not even looking at her but glaring at Aerrow, batted her hands away, causing her to back away a little in fright as stand next to the others who too looked shocked.<p>

"You know, I almost find it funny that were the ones who have to stop her when your the reason she's back" Finn told Aerrow, almost tauntingly. He'd gone too far, Aerrow's face had never looked so disgusted as behind him the others stood rooted to the spot in shock, fear and disbelief. Finn however, remained moody and almost cocky.

"You know, I wished we had a pensive with us, so you could see what happened that night, but no you only think about you, and how good you look doing something" Aerrow spat in a dark low tone as he stood facing Finn.

"Myself, why do you think I listen to that radio every night, it's to make sure I don't hear any names we know" Finn retaliated.  
>"What you don't think we all not listening too, you think we don't now how it feels!" Aerrow suddenly shouted looking outraged.<br>"No you don't, because you won't do anything to help them!" Finn shouted back.  
>"Doing this mission will help them, but if you want to go and try it your way then go, because I'm not stopping you" Aerrow spat back as the others watched in horror. Finn stood there for a moment, both he and Aerrow shaking with anger, before he threw off the horcruex and tossed it onto a chair and then grabbed his rucksack from his bedside. Finn then paused at the entrance, looking at the others, as if to see if any would follow him. None of them moved. Finn then looked specificity at Piper, who had sobs in her breath.<p>

"Well, are you coming or staying?" He asked her as she stood equal distance from him and Aerrow. Piper didn't say anything but instead looked from him too Aerrow, not knowing what to do or say. Finn watched her glance at both of them as Aerrow watched, still looking angered.  
>"Fine, I get it, I saw you two that night" He said bluntly as Piper turned back to him.<br>"Finn, that was nothing, we saw a few snatchers that all" Piper tried to explain. But Finn wasn't listening, he stood there for a moment as he glared and then he was gone, marching out of the tent.

"Finn!" Piper called as she raced out after him. From inside the tent the remaining Storm Hawks could hear Piper calling after Finn, begging him to come back. Then they heard the cracking sound of a transportation crystal. A few moments later Piper re entered the tent, wet from the falling rain outside and from tears welding up in her eyes.  
>"He's gone, taken one of the transportation crystals" She said tearful, looking at Aerrow as if asking for him to do something but he just looked away, still looking angry as he then marched past her and out of the tent. Piper gave another small sob and went over to her bed in the corner and away from the others as Ace, Junko and Stork stood not knowing what to do. Outside Aerrow had walked a little away from the tent, reaching the banks of the lake. Ignoring the downpour, which was quickly soaking him, Aerrow began pacing in his frustration. After a few moments he took notice of Ace who had been watching him a short distance away.<p>

"This is exactly what Dumbledore warned me about" He muttered as he stood facing Ace.

"Which is why you can't let it get worse, we have to focus on what we have to do" Ace told him calmly before returning to the tent, leaving Aerrow with his thoughts as he stood in the pouring rain.


	19. Chapter 19

The next morning dawned bright and cold, winter was on the way. As Aerrow left the tent he could see Piper alone at the edge of the lake. Knowing she wanted to be alone he didn't make himself known as he went to collect firewood.

A few days later they had removed the enchantments and packed away the tent. They had all stayed at the lake longer than expected as they knew the moment they left it would be impossible for Finn to find them again. Piper was wrapping one of her scarf's around a tree, at the beginnings of the forest which ran alongside the lake, leaving a mark for Finn should he return. The others were all stood waiting a short distance away as she tied a final knot and walked up to them before using the transportation crystal.

Landing on the summit of a tall cliff Piper's composure crumpled a little as he walked off and sat on a rock, obviously devastated. The others knew it was best to leave her too it as Aerrow put up the enchantments whilst Ace, Junko and Stork put up the tent.

That evening, just as the last of the sky was turning dark, Aerrow was stood a distant away from the tent, looking out across the Terra. He then heard someone walk up to him from behind. It was Stork, who like all of them still seemed disheartened.  
>"Were all about to turn in" He said, indicating the tent with his head.<p>

"I'll be right there, hows Piper?" Aerrow asked as he turned to face him, knowing Piper had been the most affected over Finn's absence. Stork shifted a little.

"Fine, well you know" He replied. Aerrow nodded a little as he looked back over the view.

"It's all such a mess, we have to find that sword it's our only clue" Aerrow said quietly, voicing his concerns for the first time since their escape of the Ministry. Stork stepped forward a little.

"Maybe, Dumbledore's left it somewhere, hidden it for us to find" He suggested as Aerrow nodded before Stork walked back to the tent, with Aerrow following not long after.

The next morning, having thought of what Stork had suggested the previous night, Aerrow had gathered the others round.

"Maybe we got it wrong, I don't think Fawkes would bring us the sword, it would be to easily lost or stolen especially with the Ministry being so keen" Aerrow told them as they gathered around the fire outside the tent.

"If it is, knowing Dumbledore it'll be somewhere significant, maybe to him or us" Ace pointed out.

"Where though, we don't anything about him" Junko added. It was then that Piper shifted a little uncomfortably.

"Piper?" Aerrow asked, seeing her move.

"We might do with this" She said nervously before pulling out a small book, which had vile green pages and a pink decorated cover. The cover read, 'The Life and Lies of Dumbledore'. It was the tell all book by Skeeter Aerrow had read about in the paper. "I didn't want to say anything, I never though it would be of any use, you know what Skeeter's like" Piper added as she handed the book over to Aerrow.

"We'll look through it, just in case" He told them as he handed the book back to Piper, knowing she would be the best for picking up any clues.

"There's something else as well, it's been bugging me for a while" Piper said as she now took out the Tales of Beedle The Bard, the book Dumbledore had left her, from her bag. "Look at this" She said, opening the book to the title page, as the others gathered around. In the top left corner of the page was a small symbol, a triangle with a circle in the middle of it and a line running through it too. "It's like nothing I've seen before and it's inked in not printed, someone's drawn it in" Piper said confused.

"Wait, Spencer was wearing the same symbol, I'm sure he was, at the wedding it was a tie pin" Aerrow said, remembering where he'd seen the symbol.

"But why draw it in a children's book?" Junko asked. The others could only shake their heads, not knowing either.

A few nights later, just as snow was beginning to fall outside, the Storm Hawks were all sat in the tent. Piper was now reading Tales of Beedle The Bard again in the hope of finding a clue for the symbol. Ace was reading too, though he was looking through Skeeter's book, with a look of annoyance as he read her work. Turning a page however, he seemed to take an interest.  
>"You know we said the sword would somewhere significant to Dumbledore or us" He suddenly said, standing up as he held the book, the others taking notice.<br>"Yeah, why?" Aerrow asked, knowing Ace had found something.  
>"What about significant to both Dumbledore and us?" Ace said as he set the book on the table in front of them all.<p>

"Griffindor's Hollow?" Piper asked, reading the chapters title, not noticing Aerrow look up at Ace with curiosity.

"What about it?" He asked, almost sounding excited over the name.  
>"He was born there" Ace replied, with a surprised smile. Aerrow nearly laughed as he began pacing a little in though.<br>"That's it, it's got to be there, the Ministry wouldn't think of looking there, the sword would be safe" Aerrow said excitedly as the others looked to him and Ace in curiosity.

"How does Dumbledore's birth place affect us?" Stork asked.  
>"He wasn't the only one born there" Aerrow said looking at them all with a grin. Then Piper understood.<p>

"You were born there too?" She asked him, her own joy growing. Aerrow nodded as Stork and Junko got the significance too.

"Not only that, it was also where, Lilly died" Ace said quietly. Aerrow looked up from Skeeter's book, that he'd been reading, at the mention of his mother, who'd been murdered by Cyclonis, who'd also lost her powers that night too.

"It's all to related not to be important" He replied as the others nodded in agreement.


	20. Chapter 20

It was a cold and calm winters night. The top layer of snow which covered the streets in a thick blanket was disturbed slightly as the transportation crystal brought the Storm Hawks to Griffindor's Hollow. It was a small and closely built pretty looking village on a Terra not much bigger than itself but still managed to remain spacious and opening.

"I still think we should have used Polyjuice potion" Stork whispered as they looked down the empty street, lit only by street lamps and a few distant buildings lights.

"We'll be fine, besides hardly anyone knows its connection" Aerrow reassured her as they set off walking. A church bell rang out from it's building just a little further up the street as behind them a man, cheerful and a sounding a little drunk shouted goodbye to someone inside a house as he stepped into the street and walked away from the Storm Hawks.

"I think it's winters eve, listen" Piper said, noticing the festive lights hanging around the house, as they reached the churched and hear the muffled singing of carols.

"We've been away for a while" Aerrow said, his mind drifting back to when the mission had started, after the escape of the wedding which had been at the end of summer. Ace however, wasn't looking at the church, he was looking at little past it at the graveyard.

"Your mothers in there" He told Aerrow quietly and sounding a little saddened. Aerrow nodded slightly as he and the other took notice of the graveyard.

"So's dad" He replied, seeing Ace look a little surprised, as his mind had been taken over over by Cyclonis when Lance was killed he didn't know what happened in the aftermath of the battle.

"You guys go in we'll be near the gate, who knows Dumbledore could have left the sword there" Piper said delicately.

Pushing open the creaky wooden gate they all entered the graveyard and, as Aerrow and Ace walked up one of the paths looking for the grave Aerrow's parents shared, the others stayed nearer the gate as they helped look for it around the others. Some of the graves looked hundreds of years old, so worn and crooked that the engraving was barley readable. Piper's eye caught a flat slab stone grave which was covered in a fine lair of snow. Bending down and brushing the snow away she read the engraving which almost unnervingly had the symbol seen in the Tales of Beedle the Bard and on Spencer's tie pin. Brushing away a little more snow Piper could read the name on the grave which read, 'Ignotus', in very worn but fancy lettering. "Guys..." She began to call but stopped as she looked up and saw Aerrow and Ace standing in one corner of the graveyard in front of a marble grave, so white is looked as if it was shining, talking between themselves. Piper know who's grave they were at and would not disturb them.

"I never asked, was there a funeral or..." Ace tailed off as he as Aerrow stood in front of the grave.

"No, people were still too scared of being associated with a Sky Knight" Aerrow said quietly, knowing Cyclonis was still in the fears of people long after her defeat in the battle the old Storm Hawks had been killed in.

"It was my fault, I still don't know how she managed to take over my mind like that" Ace said sadly as he looked away from the grave a little.

"Don't, it wasn't you" Aerrow told him, knowing Ace still felt guilty over being the cause of the old team's and his brother's death because of Cyclonis's mind control. A few moments of silent passed as they looked at the grave, whilst the others lingered in the distance. It was just as they were about to walk away when Ace seemed to spot something.  
>"What's that?" He asked, pointing a finger at a small square bundle on top of the grave which Aerrow had first thought of as part of the graves decoration, but now as he looked at it the bundle didn't look like stone. Stepping around the grave Aerrow picked it up and surprisingly found the bundle to be made of a very silky, almost fluid like quality material. Unfolding it Aerrow and Ace saw that it was a cloak of some kind.<p>

"What is that?" Piper asked as she, Junk and Stork, noticing the change in mood, came over.

"I don't know" Aerrow replied quietly, having never felt a material like it before.

"Look, there's a letter" Junko pointed out a small letter which had been folded in the cloak and had dropped out into the snow when Aerrow had opened it up. Picking it up Ace looked at the envelope.

"S.H" He said, showing them the two initials written on the envelope.

"Storm Hawks" Aerrow guessed.

"That's not all, look at the wax seal" Ace said as he turned it over so they could all see the wax seal which was bearing the letter 'H'.

"Hogwarts, you don't think Dumbledore sent it and the cloak here before he died?" Junko asked.  
>"Would surprise me, I bet he knew we'd come here eventually" Ace replied as he opened the envelope. Inside was a single piece of paper which read, 'Your mother left this in my possession before she died, it was time it was returned to you, use it well'. They all looked from the letter to the cloak, which was still being held by Aerrow, in confusion. "What is it, it can't be just a cloak otherwise he wouldn't have left it" Piper tried to theorise. The cloak itself, was a deep brown but with a silvery shimmer owing to its light and fluid material. Aerrow held it for a moment before, as if his instinct telling him what to do, draped the cloak around his shoulders. The surprised and shocked looks and gasps from the others told him he'd done the right thing. Looking down he saw why the others looked so shocked. His body, from the shoulders down, had simply disappeared even though he could still feel his lower body and the underside of the cloak.<p>

"What is that thing?" Piper asked stunned, as although they all knew it was some form of an invincibility clock, how it worked and the general shock of seeing such a thing, as only a cloaking crystal, which was very unreliable and unstable, could come close.

"I take it you didn't know mum had this?" Aerrow asked, seeing Ace's stunned face.

"No, I.." He tried to respond as Aerrow took the cloak off, his body appearing again, as passed it to Piper to look at. It was when they were all stood admiring the invincibility cloak that Stork seemed to take notice of something.

"Guys, there's someone watching us" He said in a worried whisper as the others looked up and saw an old woman, who's face was barley visible in the darkness, not helped by her heavy winter clothing and hood, standing near the entrance to the graveyard. Whoever she was it was clear that she wasn't just a passing resident, she was waiting for them.


	21. Chapter 21

Still weary of any encounters, Piper slipped the invincibility cloak into her extended bag as she and the others stared back at the woman. The woman then walked forward a little, causing them to reassuringly touch their weapons, all concealed in covered sheaths, just in case. As they saw the woman's face become clearer Ace seemed to relax a little.

"Bathilda?" He suddenly asked the woman, who was very short, only level with Aerrow's chest, with almost white hair and dark wide eyes.

"You know her?" Piper asked in a whisper as Ace stepped towards the woman a little.

"Yeh, she was a friend of the families" Ace replied before looking back to the woman. "Bathilda, it's me Ace, do you remember?" He asked her. To everyone's relief the woman nodded, if she'd been a friend of Aerrow's family she wouldn't be a threat. There was something about the way she was looking at them however, which made Aerrow think this was more than a chance meeting.

"Did Dumbledore send you, maybe to give us something?" He asked her, saying what the others had been thinking. Bathilda nodded again and, without a word, turned on her heel and started walking towards the entrance gate, though at a pace that showed she wanted them to follow.

Walking through the empty and silent streets with Bathilda walking a short distance ahead, the whole situation seemed a little unnerving.

"I don't like this, something doesn't feel right" Stork said in a whisper.

"Dumbledore would have left the sword with someone we could trust and Bathilda would never give us away, I'd trust her with my life" Ace reassured. It was as they were walking down one particular street that they saw a small, old fashioned but once pretty cottage, that looked as if it had been abandoned for years, probably owning to the gaping hole in the top left hand corner of the building.

"Ace?" Aerrow asked, seeing him stop walking and look at the ruined house. It took Aerrow and the others a moment to realise the house's significance.

"This was where..." Aerrow began, stopping when Ace nodded gravely as they looked at the place where Cyclonis had murdered his mother in an attempt to kill him, owing to a vague prophecy foretelling Cyclonis's defeat. In the attempt however, Cyclonis had lost all of her powers and was forced into hiding after a strong protection spell, left by Aerrow's mother's sacrifice, had stopped her. Bathilda was waiting for them just past the house as they silently carried on.

Not far from the ruined house Bathilda lead them into a very worn and old looking terrace house. The inside of the house was not far off inhabitable. It was dark, damp, it stank of something rotting and nearly everything was covered in dust, dirt and sometimes even mould. Needing more light Aerrow drew one of his blades out at lit the tip up with a lumos spell as Piper brought out a light crystal. Bathilda was just about managing to light up a single candle with very shaky hands. As she was doing so the Storm Hawks looked around the room. That was when a photograph caught Aerrow's eye. It was of a young man with dark brown hair, it was also the same man who'd stolen the wand in Cyclonis's vision.  
>"Bathilda who's this?" He asked, turning to face the woman. Bathilda didn't answer but instead looked at him with a very focused stare before moving her head in the direction of the small winding staircase as she began walking towards it. Her meaning had been clear.<br>"I think she wants me to go up with her, stay here I'll be back in a minute" He told the others, who all nodded although they looked a little worried, as Aerrow followed Bathilda up the stairs.

The upstairs of the house was just a filthy as the downstairs as Bathilda lead Aerrow into one of the rooms. Bathilda seemed more interested in Aerrow than looking for whatever Dumbledore had left them, staring at him again she also seemed very focused on the horcruex locket which was just visible underneath Aerrow's jacket. Bathilda then indicated her head to one corner of the room, where a large wooden cabinet, which was partially rotted, stood. Walking over Aerrow began looking for whatever Bathilda had indicated.

Downstairs as they all waited nervously, Piper had walked up to one of the doors where strangely she could hear buzzing. Pushing the door open, she froze at what she saw. In front of her was a swarm of flies.

Upstairs Aerrow was still looking through the cabinet, not knowing what he was meant to be looking for. He was also unaware of Bathilda jerking, twitching and shrinking, as if rotting, behind him. Hearing the chocking gasps of her Aerrow wheeled round as Bathilda seemingly disappeared into her clothing, which crumpled to the ground. A split second later however, a huge hissing snake appeared from the clothing.

_It had to be Cyclonis's _Aerrow thought as he grabbed a nearby stood and held it in one hand like a shield whilst holding one of his blades in the other.

Downstairs, unaware of what was occurring upstairs, Piper lifted up her light crystal a little and saw the reason for the large amount of flies. The roof was caked in splatters of blood. Backing away a little, in shock of the sight, the others too saw what had terrified her.  
>"Aerrow!" Piper shouted, finding her voice as she realised he was alone with Bathilda. Aerrow heard Piper's cry just as the snake, in fact Cyclonis's pet Nagini, lunged at him. It had all been a trap, Cyclonis's had known they would come here, she knew it's significance to them and herself and had placed her snake here, killing Bathilda in the process, to either kill or trap them.<p> 


	22. Chapter 22

The snake lunged again. Aerrow felt it's fangs pierce and snap of a chunk of one of the stools legs. Below the others were beginning to navigate their way through the rotting furniture towards the staircase. Upstairs the snake lunged again. With surprising force it collided with the stool, Aerrow had being holding in front of his chest, and send them both ramming through a wall and into presumably the house next door. In contrast to Bathilda's house the room they'd landed in was bright and clean, it was also a nursery although it was mercifully empty. As the others reached the top of the staircase they worryingly had heard the large crash before rapidly beginning to search in each of the rooms. In the nursery the snake tried to strike Aerrow, who's lost the stool in the landing, again and again. As Aerrow was scrabbling over the furniture the snake managed to hit him. Aerrow yelled in pain as he he was thrown to the floor as the snake sank it's fangs into his arm and also wrapped it's body around him. Managing to strike the snakes head with a brick, blown from the wall after the collision, Aerrow managed to scramble back into Bathilda's house. But the snake was not far behind as was preparing to strike again. But it never managed too as a familiar red blast shot it and caused it to fall through a gap in the floorboards. Looking over his shoulder Aerrow saw the others standing there, Ace with his blade out and ignited. As Aerrow stood up, clutching his arm where he'd been bitten, a moment of silence passed as they all watched the gap in the floorboards. Just as they were about to move the snake shot up, having waited for it's opportunity. Using his good arm Aerrow managed to hit it with a stunning spell as Piper took hold of him and the others, a transportation crystal already in hand, and transported them away, shattering the room's glass as she did so.

A few days later, on the banks of an icy river, the Storm Hawks had set up camp on. Piper was sat outside next to the camp fire reading. The noise of the tent's flaps being pushed aside made her look over her shoulder to see Aerrow emerging.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked as he stood near her looking around.

"Where are we?" Aerrow replied confused. He had been ill from the thankfully only slight venomous fangs of Nagini since their escape and had even fallen unconscious when they'd arrived at their arrival of their present camp.

"Terra Dean, I, I camp here camping with my parents once" Piper said quietly. Aerrow looked at her with a little surprise. It wasn't often she, or any of the others talked of their parents. Aerrow's, Piper's and Finn's had all fallen victim to Cyclonis's first rise to power whilst Junko and Stork had become estranged from their families. "It's just how I remember it, the trees the river, everything" Piper continued as Aerrow sat down opposite her. "It's like nothings changed, not true of course, everything's changed, I wouldn't even expect my parents to recognise me of they could see me" She added with a sad shrug.

"They'd still be proud of you" Aerrow replied quietly, though his mind too drifting towards his own parents, wondering what they'd say or do if they could see him now.

"You wanted to know who the man in the photograph was?" Piper asked, bringing Aerrow from his thoughts. She then handed him the book she'd been reading, Skeeter's book 'The Life and Lies of Dumbledore'. "Grindelwald" She added as Aerrow looked at the photograph.

"That's who I saw stealing the wand, I sure it is" He told her, remembering the vision. Piper shrugged a little.  
>"Apart from what you saw, I , don't think it'll lead to anywhere" She told him. Aerrow nodded in agreement.<p>

"I'll take over watch, go and get some rest, I'll take the locket as well" He offered. Piper nodded and smiled in thanks as she handed the horcruex over and headed for the tent.

A few hours later Aerrow was still on watch. Leaning against one of the nearby trees he was vaguely staring into the forest. Taking out the destroyed horcruex ring again, which had the engraved words on it, Aerrow turned it over in his hand before ramming it back into his pocket and wrapping the blanket, he was wearing on top of his clothes, around himself a little tighter. That was when he saw it. A bright, shimmering light was beginning to appear a little distance away. Aerrow watched it moved and grow before taking shape. It was a patronus, a doe patronus. Not taking his eyes off it Aerrow took of the blanket and stood up before slowly walking towards it a little. His head was telling him to go and get the others but, something else was telling him that the patronus wasn't dangerous, he'd never seen a death eater of Cyclonis cast one and he wouldn't have thought it would be a doe if they could. He also got the feeling that the patronus was waiting for him and him alone.


	23. Chapter 23

As Aerrow began walking towards the patronus it began to lead him somewhere, walking a little ahead then turning around to make sure he was following. The forest soon cleared as it opened onto a small lake. The patronus walked out onto the ice and stopped to look at Aerrow before it lost its form and became a ball of light hovering about the ice.

"Lumos" Aerrow muttered, lighting up the tip of his blade, as he reached the banks of the lake. Cautiously stepping onto the ice, which had frozen enough to take his weight, Aerrow walked up to where the patronus was. As he neared it the patronus lowered and disappeared into the ice. Brushing the layer of snow aside where the patronus had disappeared through Aerrow could just about see something resting on the lake bed. It was long, thin and looked metal as it was shining slightly against the light from Aerrow's blade.

_It couldn't be_ Aerrow thought excitedly. Then he saw the sparkling of red rubies on the hilt. The sword of Griffindor was just under the ice. Aerrow pointed his blade at the sword.

"Accio sword" He said, trying to summon it. The sword didn't move. Sighing a little as he looked around the forest, only now aware he was beyond the boundaries of the protective enchantments, before making a decision. Standing a little away from the sword position he pointed his blade and muttered a spell and cracked open a large hole in the ice, allowing the dark water to seep through to the surface. Keeping in mind that the sword was only a short distance under the water Aerrow began to strip down to his boxers, knowing the water would be freezing and he'd need the dry clothes when he came out.

Walking to the hole, leaving his blade on the edge of it so that the lit tip shone into the water, Aerrow took one last look around and then down at the sword before diving in.

The coldness of the water nearly made him lose all the breath he was holding as it stung his entire body. Forcing himself to push and kick Aerrow could see the sword just a few feet down but the darkness of the water made it much more difficult to find his way as he only had the silver of the sword and the light colour of the ice above to use in finding his direction. Then, just as he stretched out a hand for the sword, Aerrow felt the horcruex locket, which he'd been wearing around his neck, suddenly jerked up violently, tightening the chain and beginning to strangle Aerrow at the same time. Thrashing and grabbing at the chain, which was forcing the air he was holding out in a chaos cloud of bubbles. Losing all sense of direct Aerrow felt the locket somehow dragging him away from the sword and even worse, the hole in the ice and the precious air above. Scrapping against the underside of the ice Aerrow began furiously banging on the thick ice in an attempt to break it. Whether it was the panic or the fact that he was beginning to blank out, he could of sworn that he could see the silhouette of a person standing on the ice above. Unable to struggle any longer Aerrow, just as he was losing contentiousness, even imagined that he saw someone jump into the water just ahead of him and start swimming towards him.

But someone else was in the water, they even picked up Griffindor's sword, as the next thing Aerrow knew he was being dragged up out of the water and across the ice of lake surface. Resting against a tree getting both his breath and his vision back Aerrow was aware of someone else, whoever had save him, standing nearby.

"Are you mental?" A voice suddenly sounded. The familiarity of the voice made Aerrow look up in surprise and shock. Finn was standing right in front of him, in soaking wet clothes and holding Griffindor's sword.

"Finn" Aerrow managed to say, aware now that he was beginning to shake from being so wet in the cold. "That was you?" He asked, standing up and beginning to dress back into his mercifully warm clothing.

"Yeah I saw you jump in after watching you follow that patronus" Finn replied with a nervous shrug.

"Did you see anyone cast it?" Aerrow asked. Still not believing Finn was standing in front of him. Finn could only shake his head.

It was as they were leaving the lake that Aerrow got a thought.  
>"Here" He said to Finn, handing him the locket. "Destroy it with the sword" He added. Finn looked up in surprise.<p>

"Are you sure?" He asked. Aerrow nodded in encouragement.

Soon the locket was lead on a rock as Aerrow and Finn stood either side of it.

"I can't do this, that thing affects me more than anyone else" Finn suddenly said, looking fearfully at the horcruex.

"Exactly, that's why you should destroy it" Aerrow told him.

"I can't" Finn whispered again, backing off slightly.

"Then why are you here, why did you come back?" Aerrow asked. Finn didn't answer but instead, still looking reluctant, he nodded. "I'll open it but remember, whatever is in there it'll put up a fight so don't hesitate, Ready?" Aerrow asked. Finn slowly held up the sword and nodded. Aerrow then rested a thumb on the catch that would open the locket. "One, two, three" He said as he pushed down on the catch and opened the locket.


	24. Chapter 24

The moment the catch on the locket was released a deafening an powerful blast rang out accompanied by a large plume of black smoke, knocking both Aerrow and Finn off their feet. Then, from the cloud of smoke they both heard Cyclonis's voice.

"I have seen your heart and it is mine" She said as Finn crawled away a little as he and Aerrow fought to see against the strong wind being produced from the locket. "I have seen your dreams Finn and I have seen your fears" Cyclonis's voice continued to taunt as Finn's fears grew, even more so as hundreds of spiders and other bugs crawled towards, him appearing from nowhere. "All ways the one who causes the trouble in your team, Least loved by the girl who prefers your friend" Cyclonis's voice added as Finn sat watching the black plume of smoke, frozen with fear.  
>"Finn kill it!" Aerrow shouted from the other side of the smoke. Then the horcruex changed tactic as the centre of the smoke plume cleared a little and glowed lighter. The lighter smoke then took the shape of Aerrow and Piper. Their was something very beautiful but also very dark about the horcruex versions of them.<br>"We were better without you, happier without you" The horcruex Aerrow taunted Finn with a cruel smirk.  
>"Who could look at you compared to Aerrow, what are you compared to the great Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks?" The horcruex Piper equally taunted.<br>"Finn it's lying!" The real Aerrow shouted, seeing Finn frozen with fear and shock, from the other side of the horcruex.

"We question it all the time you know, why are even on the squadron when you have nothing to give" The horcruex Aerrow continued taunting.

"What woman would take you, you are nothing compared to him" The horcruex Piper also taunted as Finn became less frightful and more angry. Then the horcruex versions of Aerrow and Piper began kissing each other, as if trying to enrage Finn even more with his biggest fear. But it was his anger that made Finn stand up and hold Griffindor's high as he ran forward, through the horcruex versions of Aerrow and Piper who were only mere smoke, and with one fluid stroke he smashed the blade into the locket. There was a small noise, almost like a scream, as all of the horcruexs visions vanished and the glass inside the locket shattered. For a moment Aerrow and Finn stayed where they were, both heavily breathing over the whole ordeal before Finn let the sword slip from his grasp and fall onto the forest floor as Aerrow slowly got to his feet.

"Just think, only three more to go" Finn gasped in a quiet voice before he turned to Aerrow, who'd walked up to him. "You and Piper..." Finn tried to ask, the horcruex images still imprinted on his mind. Aerrow shook his head.

"I love her like a sister, she cried for a week after you left" He told him quietly.

By the time they had returned to the camp the sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon. Ace and Stork were outside the tent on watch when they saw Aerrow, still wet from the lake, emerge from the trees.

"Aerrow, what happened, where..." Ace began to ask, sounding worried, but tailed off as he and Stork then saw Finn emerging from the trees, also dripping wet and carrying Griffindor's swords and the remains of the locket.

"You'll never guess what happened" Aerrow said with a small smile as Ace and Stork stood with their mouths hanging open in shock.

"Junko, Piper, you best get out here" Stork called towards the tent. A few moments later Junko followed by Piper stepped out of the tent. Their faces turned from interest to shock and disbelief the moment they saw Finn. A very tense moment passed as they all stood looking at Finn, Piper stepped forward a little and seemed to be the most shock as she'd been the most affected from his absence.

"Hey" Finn said as he smiled nervously. Then Piper seemed to get over her shock as she marched up to him and grabbed the rucksack he'd been carrying and started hitting him with it.

"You, you complete arse Finn, you show up after weeks, and you say hey!" She shouted as she finally stopped hitting him with his bag. Finn, during all this had just stood there and taken it as Piper then stepped back a little, still angered and was bringing out her staff, which was attached to her belt, when it flew out of her hand. Turning she saw Aerrow holding it with a blade in the other, having just summoned it from her grasp. "Aerrow give me back my staff, give it back!" Piper ordered as she then marched up to him.

"Piper just wait, calm down and listen to him" Aerrow said as he tried to calm her and held the staff away from her. Piper looked as if she would argue but instead turned around to face Finn again.  
>"Well, what have you got to say and what is that?" She asked him, still sounding very angry as the others watched nervously. In answer to her question Finn held up the shattered and cracked locket so that she could see it properly.<p>

"You destroyed it?" Piper asked, sounding a little calmer. But then her anger rose back a little as she saw that Finn was also holding Griffindor's sword.

"And how is it that you just happen to have Griffindor's sword?" She snapped at him.

"It's a long story" Aerrow said, trying to help defend Finn. Piper seemed to have had enough as she looked to Aerrow and then back to Finn.  
>"Don't think this changes anything" She told him in an angry tone before beginning to walk back to the tent.<p>

"Oh course not, I've only just gone and destroyed a bloody horcruex, why would that changed anything" Finn told her back, making Piper stop and face him again. "Look I wanted to comeback as soon as I left but I didn't know how to find you" Finn began to explain.

"So how did you find us?" Junko asked what everyone else was thinking.

"With this, it doesn't just turn off lights" Finn told them as he pulled out the deluminator Dumbledore had left him in his will. "I don't know how it works but winters day I was sleeping at a small inn, keeping away from some snatchers when I heard it" He said.

"It?" Aerrow asked.

"A voice, your voice Piper, coming out of it" Finn explained as he looked directly at Piper.

"And what exactly did I say may I ask?" She asked, still sounding annoyed.

"My name, just my name, like a whisper" Finn replied nervously. "So I took it, clicked it and this tiny ball of light appeared and I knew, and sure enough it floated towards me, the ball of light, and right to my chest, straight through me, right here" He explained as he indicated his chest. "And I knew it was going to take me where I needed to go so I used the transportation crystal I took and came to this hillside, it was dark, I had no idea where I was, just hoped one of you would show yourselves, and you did" He finished, giving a quick look to Aerrow, who nodded back, before Finn looked back to Piper, who had softened a little but was still upset with him.


	25. Chapter 25

That night Aerrow and Finn were sitting on one of the beds in the tent with a glass jar in front of them, containing a crystal of Piper's own making which gave off the heat and light of a fire.

"I've always liked these crystals Piper makes" Finn said as he and Aerrow looked towards the tent's entrance where they could just see Piper sitting outside on watch. "How long do you think she'll be mad at me?" He asked Aerrow, who shrugged.

"I think you got off lightly with her but, just keep talking about that little ball of light touching your heart and, she'll come round" He replied.

"It's true, every word" Fin said, chuckling a little. " This is going to sound crazy, but I think that's why Dumbledore left it to me, the deluminator, I think he knew that I'd need it to find my way back and it would lead me" He theorised. Aerrow could only shrug, thinking that it would have made sense but that it would have been impossible to have known the Finn would leave. It was then the Piper walked back into the tent.  
>"We need to talk" She told Aerrow, Finn and Ace, Stork and Junko, who'd been sitting at the other side of the tent.<p>

"Yeh aright" Finn quickly agreed, wanting to stay in Piper's good books, as they all gathered round.

"I think we should go and see Spencer" She told them.

"Spencer, what for?" Ace asked as Piper opened Skeeter's book about Dumbledore and showed them a page containing a printed copy of a letter.

"See this, it's a letter Dumbledore wrote to Grindelwald" She told them, pointing out the triangle symbol that seemed to be following them which was written next to Dumbledore's name. "It's that mark again, it keeps cropping up, in Beedle The Bard, at Griffindor's Hollow" Piper added.  
>"It was outside the shop I saw too" Aerrow said, remembering Cyclonis's vision.<br>"But what does it mean?" Finn asked.

"Look we have no idea where the next horcruex is, but this, this means something and I don't think Spencer would have worn this symbol without knowing what it means" Piper told them.

"Yeh, Piper's right, we ought to see Spencer, lets vote on it, those in favour" Finn said as he stood besides Piper and raised his hand. Everyone just stood for a moment staring at him before Piper then sighed and walked back out of the tent leaving Finn to lower his hand and for the others to shrug.

Using the transportation crystal the Storm Hawks soon arrived on Terra Greenfield. Spencer, an old friend of Ace's who was an archaeologist and who's daughter they'd saved from the mysterious Unknown a few years ago, lived in an regal looking mansion built on top of a hill which overlooked the town below. Ensuring they avoided the town, the Storm Hawks began to climb the hill.

"Your not still mad at him?" Aerrow asked Piper in a whisper, indicating Finn who was just walking ahead and out of earshot, as they walked up.  
>"I'm always mad at him" She replied as they neared the mansion.<p>

Reaching the front doors Aerrow nervously knocked. After a few moments they heard the sound of a few bolts opening before the door opened a little. It wasn't Spencer at the door but rather the man who looked after his house and Molly when he was away.

"What do want?" The man asked almost hostile.  
>"We need to see Spencer" Aerrow replied, growing worried at the man's fearful behaviour.<p>

"I'm afraid he's not available" The housekeeper said as he tried to shut the door.  
>"Tell him the Storm Hawks are here to see him" Aerrow told the man, putting his foot between the door and it's frame and stopping it from closing. The housekeeper seemed defeated and almost reluctantly let them in.<p>

Leading them to a lounge just off the entrance hall, the housekeeper cleared his throat to announce them to Spencer, who was sitting in an armchair reading the newspaper. As Spencer looked up and saw them, his face turning pale as he recognised them, Aerrow noticed that he'd never looked so worn and ill looking, as if something had been constantly worrying him.

"What are you doing here?" He said, sounding very fearful, as the housekeeper left the room.

"Spencer we need your help" Ace said, looking worried at the state of his friend's condition.

Soon they were all sat around the room as Spencer looked at them all nervously.

"Where's Molly?" Piper asked after Spencer's daughter, trying to break the awkward silence.

"She's in the town with some friends, she'll be back soon" Spencer replied quietly. "So what can I help you with?" He asked them all a little reluctantly.

"Well, it's about your tie pin at the wedding, the symbol?" Aerrow asked, noticing Spencer was wearing it again on his jacket.

"You mean this?" Spencer asked, pointing to the triangular symbol with the circle and the line running through it.

"Yeh, what we wondered was what is it?" Aerrow asked.  
>"What is it, why it's the sign of the Deathly Hallows of course" Spencer answered.<p>

"The what?" All of the Storm Hawks asked simultaneously.

"The Deathly Hallows, I assume your all familiar with the Tale of the Three Brothers?" Spencer inquired.

"Yes" Piper, Finn, Aerrow and Ace said whilst Junko and Stork said no.

"I have it in here" Piper said as she produced the Tales of Beedle The Bard, which contained the story unknown to Wallops and Merbs as they had their own stories. Opening the book to the start of the tale she began to read it aloud.


	26. Chapter 26

Piper clear her throat as she began reading.

"There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely winding road at twilight" She began.

"I was always told midnight, you know but spookier" Finn added. "But twilights fine actually, better in fact" He quickly added as Piper gave him a quick glare.

"Do you want to read it?" She asked sharply.  
>"No it's fine" Finn said quietly as Piper carried on reading.<p>

"There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely winding road at twilight, in time the brothers came across a river too treacherous to pass, but being learned in the magical arts, the three brothers simply waved their wands and made a bridge, before they could cross however, they found their path blocked by a hooded figure, it was death and he felt cheated, cheated because travellers would normally drown in the river, but death was cunning, he pretended to congratulate the three brothers on their magic and said each had earned a prize for being clever enough to evade him, the oldest asked for a wand more powerful then any in existence so death fashioned him one from an elder tree which stood nearby, the second brother decided he wanted to humiliate death even further and asked for the power to recall loved ones from the grave so death plucked a stone from the river and offered it to him, finally death turned to the third brother, a humble man, he asked for something which would allow him to go forth from that place without being followed by death, and so it was that death reluctantly handed over his own cloak of invisibility, the first brother travelled to a distant village where, with the elder wand in hand, he killed a man with whom he had once quarrelled, drunk with the power that the elder wand had given him he bragged of his invisibility, but that night another sorcerer stole the wand and slit the bothers throat for good measure, and so death took the first brother for his own, the second brother journeyed to his home where he took the stone and turned it thrice in hand, to his delight the girl he'd once hoped to marry before her untimely death appeared before him, yet soon she turned sad and cold for she did not belong in the mortal world, driven mad by hopeless longing the second brother killed himself so as to join her, and so death took the second brother, as for the third brother, death searched for many years but was never able to find him, only when he attained a great age did the youngest brother shed the cloak of invisibility and give it to his son, he then greeted death as an old friend and went with him gladly, departing this life as equals" Piper finished reading.

"So there you are, the Deathly Hallows" Spencer said, as he now stood by one of the rooms windows, looking out onto the gardens where a flock of ravens had gathered.

"I still don't understand" Junko said, looking as confused as Stork over the story. Spencer walked away from the window and produced a piece of paper and a pencil from table. The Stork Hawks gathered round as he began drawing the Deathly Hallows symbol.

"The elder wand, the most powerful wand ever made" He said, drawing the line. "The resurrection stone" He added, drawing the circle. "And the cloak of invisibility" He finished, drawing the triangle around the circle and line as behind him the Storm Hawks glanced at each other nervously, knowing what they had found in Griffindor's Hollow. "Together they make the Deathly Hallows, together they make one master of death" Spencer added, looking at them.

"That mark was on a grave at Griffindor's Hollow with the name Ignotus on it" Piper enquired. Spencer nodded as he walked past them and stood next to the lit fireplace.  
>"Ignotus was thought to be the original owner of the invincibility cloak and therefore the third brother" He explained. "I, er, I may have some papers in my study, it's just upstairs, I won't be a moment" He added, sounding nervous as he left the room, shutting the door behind him as he left. After a few moments Ace spoke up.<p>

"I think we should go, Spencer's taking a risk having us here" He said quietly which was met with mutual agreement. Gathering their bags and leaving the room they walked back into the entrance hall just as Spencer was coming down the stairs, empty handed.

"Thanks Spencer for your help" Piper said.

"Could you not find anything?" Junko inquired, seeing Spencer's empty arms. Spencer looked as if he'd only just remembered he he left for them.

"Oh, the papers, I completely forgot, they weren't in my study, they're in the dinning room, I'll just get them" He said beginning to walk towards on of the doors.

"It really doesn't matter we should be going anyway" Aerrow insisted.

"No you can't!" Spencer suddenly nearly shouted as he ran over and vainly attempted to block the front door.  
>"Spencer, what is it?" Ace asked in concern as Spencer leaned against the door, his back to them, nearly shaking.<p>

"Your my only hope" He replied quietly, turning around and looking very defeated and very desperate. "They were angry you see about helping you in the past, so they took her" He continued sounding just as defeated and desperate as he looked. "They took my Molly" He added, sounding as if he was about to break down. The Storm Hawks faces turned from confusion to worry and shock as they heard this, knowing 'they' meant Cyclonis's death eaters and that Molly was still only a child and was now alone somewhere in their clutches. Spencer then began walking up to Aerrow.

"It's really you their after isn't it?" He asked, taking hold of Aerrow's arm and pulling back his sleeve to reveal the scar left from when Cyclonis had been resurrected.

"Spencer, no..." Aerrow began, stepping back and out of the man's grasp, knowing what Spencer was thinking. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry about Molly and we'll try and find her but, I can't hand myself in, not when were so close to stopping her" He told the broken looking man quietly.

"Then I'm so sorry for what I have to do" Spencer said, stepping back a little as the Storm Hawks placed their hands near their weapons. Spencer seemed to take a deep breath and uttered a single word.  
>"Cyclonis" He said. A moment later a noise appeared from outside, it was the whooshing sound normally heard when death eaters were travelling as black streams of smoke. Then the wall and windows of the front of the house exploded with a massive bang.<p> 


	27. Chapter 27

The Storm Hawks and Spencer had all been thrown off their feet as the now crumbling brickwork was being destroyed around them. Aerrow heard Piper shriek as the ceiling above them partially gave way, showering them with dust and bits of debris. As they Tried to find a way either to the front door or another exit as the death eaters continued wrecking the house Spencer could be heard shouting at the death eaters that they didn't have to attack and that he would hand them over willingly. In the confusion and chaos of the attack the Storm Hawks had managed to crawl over to each other and grab hold as Piper, who had somehow got out a transportation crystal, transported them away.

Landing hard on the forest floor they found themselves back at the same lakeside where Finn had originally left them, even Piper's scarf was still knotted around one of the tree's right she'd left it.

"Treacherous little bleeder, is their no one we can trust?" Ace said as he stood up, sounding quite angry at the fact that two of his friends had now nearly got them all killed, although technically Bathilda hadn't done anything but rather Nagini had taken her body over.

"They kidnapped Molly because he supported us, it wasn't his fault, he was desperate" Aerrow reminded him as they all stood up and caught their breaths.

"Were best to get the enchantments up" Stork reminded them. Aerrow nodded as was beginning to walk to where he would put up the boundary when he froze at a movement just ahead of him. A man, the same one Aerrow and Piper had seen with the other snatchers carrying bodies, had just stepped out from behind the tree where Piper's scarf had been tied around but it was now in the man's hands. Behind him Aerrow heard the others gasp and turn, looking back over his shoulder he saw too that they were now surrounded by snatchers and even a few death eaters, including Greyback the werewolf who'd been on the astronomy tower during Dumbledore's death. They had all somehow followed them as they had transported in the same way they'd been followed out of the Ministry.

"Ah I wouldn't do that if I were you" The snatcher holding Piper's scarf told them as the Storm Hawks began reaching for their weapons, but stopped when they saw every person surrounding them already had their wands and blades out, all trained on them. Risking a glance, Aerrow caught Piper's eye, she indicated her hand and he saw a small dark grey crystal just visible in her closed palm. He gave a subtle nod as the snatcher began walking up to them, looking very smug.

"Now let's find out who we've got here" He said as he walked a little closer, getting a better view of them. That was when Piper threw her crystal to the floor which bounced for a second before encircling the Storm Hawks in a cloud of smoke which, although they were standing in clear air and could see as normal, anyone on the other side of the smoke could only see the smoke and were also being delayed in going after them as they choked on the heavy smoke. A split second later the Storm Hawks did the last thing they could do, they ran.

Running into the forest, not knowing where it would take them. The crystal soon ran out of power and they were once more visible and even worst, the snatchers and death eaters were no longer being choked from the smoke.

"Well get after them!" The lead snatcher shouted to the others, who all ran off in pursuit. As the Storm Hawks ran, forcing to weave, dodge and jump as they navigated their way through the uneven and dense forest, they were soon separated from each other. Wood was suddenly blasted from the trees all around them as the snatchers and death eaters were closing in a and began firing spells and blasts. They soon came to a steep hill which didn't help them at all as they began running faster over more treacherous ground. At one point Aerrow, who was running just behind Piper, tumbled head over heels as he tripped and began rolling painfully on the ground but thanks to his momentum he was quickly got back to his feet. Finn and Junko weren't faring much better as they too were being pursued down the hill. It was then that they were both hit with identical spells which somehow produced chains around their ankles, making them fall like logs. Stork and Ace had somehow managed to join back up with Aerrow and Piper as they dove for a dry river bed, covered by fallen logs over the top and forming a makeshift tunnel just at the foot of the hill. The snatchers and death eaters however, were beginning to scramble over the logs and jump nearly right onto them as they found gaps. The tunnel eventually lead them into a clearing where Piper, who had been in the lead, stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the forest ahead completely blocked off by a line of snatchers. Looking back at where she'd come from Piper saw Aerrow, Ace and Stork come running out with the other snatchers and death eaters close behind them. Making a decision she lifted her staff and fired two shots. The first hit Aerrow whilst the other hit Ace, as she knew out of any of them they were the most recognisable and most known to Cyclonis's forces. The shots had hit both Aerrow and Ace square in the face, causing them to tumble to the ground with the sudden force. As Aerrow hit the floor he suddenly once again heard Cyclonis's voice in his head.

"Tell me Grindelwald, tell me where it is" She whispered as Aerrow once again saw Grindelwald steal the wand and then Cyclonis standing over an old man who was sat in what looked like a prison cell. The old man, who Aerrow realised was Grindelwald as he was now, chuckled.

"Ah Cyclonis, I knew you'd come one day but surly you must know that I no longer have what you seek" Grindelwald said with a smile.  
>"Tell me where it is, tell me who possess it, the elder wand" Cyclonis ordered as she crouched besides the man, who was chuckling again.<br>"It lies with him of course" He said, suddenly sounding bitter as Aerrow saw the image change to an image of Dumbledore before changing back, knowing Cyclonis's had seen it too. "buried in the ground, Dumbledore" Grindelwald whispered as Cyclonis looked very gleeful before she dissaperated away, leaving Grindelwald to chuckle alone in his cell. Then Aerrow was back in the forest and the snatchers and death eaters closed ranks around them. Ace was lying on the ground too as Piper came running over to them.

"The Hallows exist but she's only after the wand, she knows where it is, she'll have it by the end of the night" Aerrow tried to tell her as Piper looked worriedly around at the people surrounding them.

"What have you done?" Ace asked her in a low tone, so they wouldn't give it away.  
>"It's a transfiguration crystal, I'll change certain features but not by much" She managed to say as they were all dragged to their feet and moved to were Stork, Junko and Finn had all been taken too. That was when Aerrow and Ace properly saw what Piper's crystal had done. Aerrow now had sandy coloured hair which had also changed style a little along with now having light blue eyes whilst Ace had shorter dark brown hair and green eyes. The others noticed the change to but didn't say anything as the were all held back.<p> 


	28. Chapter 28

"Get off me!" Piper shouted as she vainly tried to struggle from the grasp of a snatcher.  
>"Leave her!" Finn shouted as he tried to run towards her but had the wind knocked out him with powerful punch to the stomach from a snatcher, sending him to the floor as Junko, who was being held back by five men, and Stork were all grouped together with them.<p>

"Your boyfriend will get much worse that that if he doesn't learn to behave himself" The snatcher, who was no wearing Pipers scarf on his belt almost like a medal, said as he came walking over. As Aerrow and Ace were thrown up against some trees and pinned there. "Well, what happened to you two then, you look a bit different than before" The snatcher inquired at them. Neither responded, hoping he would think that they had been mistaken at first on their appearance because of the lack of light in the forest. "What's you're name?" The snatcher suddenly asked Aerrow.

"Cedric" Aerrow lied.

"Where from?" The snatcher, now standing right in front of him, asked.  
>"Terra Greenfield" Aerrow responded, knowing they had been followed from there.<p>

"Check it" The snatcher ordered, looking unconvinced, as one of the other snatchers checked through a small book. The snatcher then moved onto Ace. "What about you?" He asked, more suspicious of Aerrow and Ace due to their change of appearance.  
>"Lance, Terra Atmosia" Ace also lied.<p>

"No Cedric or Lance in here" The snatcher checking the little book, listing all those wanted in Atmos, said.

"Here that, book said your not here, how come you don't want us knowing who you are?" Greyback, who had hold of Aerrow, asked as he began gripping Aerrow's neck painfully tight.  
>"You know he does seem very familiar" The lead snatcher said as he walked back over to Aerrow. "And if you are who I think you are, I remember the newspaper talking about a very distinctive feature" He continued before grabbing Aerrow's arm. Aerrow cursed in his head as he saw the lead snatcher and Greyback see his tell tale scar and turn excited. "Change of plan were not taking this lot to the Ministry" He told them all, knowing he could get a much bigger reward elsewhere.<p>

After being forcibly dissaperated with their captors the Storm Hawks found themselves standing in front of a impressive and grand mansion, which had very tall and straight walls making it tower above it misty gardens. Being half dragged up the gravel path towards the building and in between very tall and dark hedges, the group soon came to a set of large iron gates. Someone was one the other side of them, as if they'd been expected. Aerrow saw that it was Bellatrix, one of Cyclonis's most loyal and maddest death eaters. As came to a stop right in front of the gates Greyback suddenly wrenched Aerrow arm out from behind his back and held it out, lifting his sleeve so that Bellatrix could see the scar on his arm.

"You best come in" She said in a soft but deadly whisper.

The Storm Hawks were then forced into a through the house before they came to a large and richly decorated dining room, although it's heavy wood and long dinning table had been placed to the side in order to give a large amount of floor space. Bellatrix, it seemed wasn't the only resident of the house as also in the room was Lucius, looking very worn and shrunken, presumably his wife, a woman with platinum blond hair with a brown streak to the side, and his son Draco, who Aerrow had seen trying to kill Dumbledore before Severus had intervened. Bellatrix then gave a nod to Greyback who suddenly and violently kicked the back of Aerrow's legs, forcing him to fall to his knees. Before he could even react properly Bellatrix was already hold of his neck.

"Is it him?" Lucius asked, sounding nervously excited. Bellatrix didn't answer for a few moments as she studied Aerrow's face, which was still under the effect of transfiguration crystal.  
>"I think it is" She eventually replied. Lucius seemed worried over her uncertainly.<p>

"We have to be sure, you know what happens to those who disappoint the dark master" He said, stepping forward a little.  
>"But if it is him Lucius, all will be forgiven" His wife reassured him, giving Aerrow the impression that Lucius and his family had disappointed Cyclonis at some point.<p>

"Your not forgetting who caught them all, I hope Lucius" The lead snatcher inquired as he and the others all held back the other Storm Hawks.

"You dare talk to me like that in my own house!" Lucius suddenly shouted, but was prevented from doing anything more by his wife who hissed something to him. Bellatrix suddenly stood up from where she'd been crouching in front of Aerrow, also realising her grip from his throat. She looked too happy and confident for Aerrow's liking as she then took out her wand.

"It is him, his squadron too" She confirmed, grinning like an excited child.

"And how do you know Bellatrix, a moment ago you though it was them" Lucius reminded her. Bellatrixe's grin grew as she nodded at Greyback, who forced Aerrow back to his feet.

"Because they've use a simple trick, that's fooled all these idiots" She sneered as she flicked her wand which sent out a blast of what felt like hot air over the Storm Hawks. By hers and everyone else's now gleeful reactions, Aerrow knew that somehow Bellatrix had remove the effects of the transfiguration crystal placed on himself and Ace. "Clever I'll admit, so who's responsible for it, who's good with crystals, hmm?" Bellatrix continued to speak giddily, looking at each of the Storm Hawks.  
>"One of em had a crystal staff" One of the snatchers blurted out as he and a few others brought forward all of the Storm Hawks weapons and rucksacks and set them on the floor just to the side of Bellatrix.<p>

"A crystal staff, hmm let me think who would use that, yes, I think the girl would, is that right dear?" Bellatrix said suddenly looking to Piper, knowing a crystal staff would belong in more delicate hands owing to its thinness. "Let's see what crystals in the staff right now shall we" She added, joyful at seeing Piper's terrified face. Bellatrix was still chuckling as she turned to face the pile of the Storm Hawks belongings. It was then however, that she suddenly stopped chuckling as her eyes found Griffindor's sword, which was being held by one of the snatchers. "What's that, where'd you get that from?" She said in a suddenly terrified whisper.

"It was in her bag when we searched her, reckon it's mine now" The snatcher replied, looking pleased with himself. Bellatrix stood frozen for a moment before she suddenly sent a wand blast at him, knocking the snatcher flying and sending Griffindor's sword into her hand.  
>"Are you mad!" The lead snatcher shouted, beginning to run forward but was quickly grabbed around the throat by a whip Bellatrix had been carrying on her belt and was pulled to the ground.<p>

"Put them in the cellar and get out!" She screamed in rage at the terrified snatchers, who began dragging the Storm Hawks towards a door on the other side of the room as the two snatchers who'd been attacked fled the room. "Not the girl, I want a little chat first" Bellatrix quickly added in a slightly calmer voice than before. There was a moment of struggling as Piper was wrenched away from the group and grabbed by Bellatrix as the other was forced out of the room.


	29. Chapter 29

Pushed into a cellar, directly below the room, so forcibly by the snatchers that they fell to the floor. Aerrow heard the barred door slam shut and lock behind them. He turned just in time to see Petigrew, the Order of the Phoenix traitor and the man responsible for Cyclonis's resurrection, stand on the other side of the door placing enchantments on it, presumably so that it would resist even Junko's strength. Picking themselves up painfully, Finn raced to the door and tried to force it open in vain.

"Finn, Petigrew enchanted it, it would budge!" Aerrow had to shout as Finn had become desperate.

"We can't leave Piper alone with Bellatrix" Finn said in a panic as he turned back and face them.  
>"Hello" A small voice, a young girl's suddenly sounded from a little further into the room, making them all jump. "Storm Hawks?" The voice asked again, obviously knowing them as they saw a small silhouette walk out from behind one of the cellar's pilers.<br>"Hold on" Finn said as he miraculously pulled out the deluminator, which had been left concealed in his jackets inner pocket, and sent a stored ball of light into a old rusty lantern which was lying on the floor. As the light flooded into the room the Storm Hawks saw none other than Spencer's daughter, Molly.

"Molly?" Ace asked, sounding as surprised as they others looked as they saw the young girl, filthy and a little bruised but otherwise aright, standing in front of them.

Upstairs Piper was now lying on her back on the dark wooden floor with Bellatrix kneeling over her, pinning her down.

"That sword it meant to be in my vault in Gringotts, how did you get it!" She hissed as Piper lay sobbing in pain beneath her. "Did you and you squadron take it from my vault!" Bellatrix shouted right into Piper's face.

"Didn't take anything, please, we didn't take anything" Piper tried to say among her sobs.

"I don't believe you" Bellatrix spat, drawing her wand out again and pointed at her.  
>"Crucio!" She shouted, sending the agonising torture curse at Piper who began screaming and struggling in agony.<p>

Downstairs they could all hear Piper's scream and knew they were running out of time.

"We have to do something" Finn said desperately as Piper's screams continued.

"There's no way out of here, we've tried everything" A much older man's voice suddenly sounded as from just behind Molly, Olivander, the wand and core maker, stepped out of the shadows. He was not the only one either as a much shorter person with bald head, pointed nose and pointed ears also walked out. Aerrow recognised him as a goblin, one of the other species in Atmos.

"There must be something we can do" Junko said worriedly as they heard Piper scream again. Aerrow began pacing, racking his brain for a way out, but all he could think was that they were on their own, defenceless and needed help. He fleeting through to Dumbledore's words left to him in the will, that help would be given to those who asked for it.

_Well I'm asking for it now_ He thought to himself, wondering what good it would do them. Suddenly someone was heard coming down the stairs on the other side of the door. Finn quickly put the lamps light back into the denominator as Petigrew, holding a wand in front of him with his silver hand, opened the door.

"You treacherous coward Petigrew" Ace, who if not for the wand would had quite happily killed the man for his betrayal of particularly Aerrow's mother to Cyclonis, spat as Petigrew forced them all away from the door with the threat of his wand.

"Quiet, you goblin, upstairs" Petigrew ordered as he forced the goblin to walk out of the room before he too left, relocking and re-enacting the door as he did so. As soon as they were gone Finn put the light from the deluminator back into the lamp, so that they could all see properly again.

That was when a slight whooshing sound was heard. Turning he and the others incredibly saw Kreacher, the house elf that served the Order of Phoenix's headquarters, standing there.

"Kreacher, what are you doing here?" Aerrow asked shocked, wondering how the elf had managed to get past the enchantments.

"Kreacher has been sent to rescue the Storm Hawks and anyone else needing help" The elf said with a smile as he bowed slightly.

"Are you saying you can get past the enchantments, take us with you?" Finn enquired.

"Of course, I'm an elf" Kreacher replied, sounding surprised they did not know this. The Storm Hawks looked at each other for a moment.

"Works for me" Stork voiced what they were all thinking. Aerrow nodded before looking back to Kreacher.

"Right Kreacher I need you to take Molly and Olivander to..." He began but stopped when he realised there was no safe place to go to.  
>"Bill and Flur's house on Terra Tinworth, they were talking about it at the wedding and they seemed nice" Molly suddenly suggested. Aerrow considered for a moment before nodding.<br>"Yeh, take them there" He told Kreacher, who bowed again before taking hold of Molly and Olivander.

"Meet me at the top of the stairs in ten seconds" He told the Storm Hawks before he dissaperated himself, Molly and Olivander out of the room. The Storm Hawks didn't even have time to ask what he was planning before they heard and saw Petigrew walking back down the stairs to the door again, having heard the whooshing noise. Leaning against the same wall as the door, so they were ready, the Storm Hawks watched Petigrew enter the cellar with his wand in his hand, looking form them. Then a very small but powerful stunning spell came out of nowhere and hit him on the back of the head.

"Oh" He managed to whimper out before he fell flat on his face, his wand flying out of sight. Stepping over him and through to the bottom of the stairs the Storm Hawks looked up to see Kreacher standing halfway up, holding Petigrew's wand which he'd summoned after stunning him.

"Who gets his wand?" He asked, not knowing who could or couldn't use it.


	30. Chapter 30

Slowly creeping up the stairs which lead to the dinning room, the Storm Hawks could now hear Bellatrix interrogating the goblin.

"I am going to ask you once more goblin, think very very carefully before you answer" They heard Bellatrix hiss in a dangerous whisper.

"I don't know" The goblin was heard to reply as they reached the foot of the stairs and hid themselves just inside the doorway. Lucius, his wife and Draco were all stood watching as Bellatrix was walking around the goblin as Piper lay on the floor, almost forgotten, a short distance away. Weak from the Crucio curse she only had the strength to move her eyes which watched a tiny hair, just about visible in the light, float down onto her coat.

"Liar!" Bellatrix suddenly screeched, after the goblin again denied that the sword had been stolen from her vault, as she swiped a small dagger she was now holding across the goblins cheek. "Consider yourself lucky goblin" She spat and she them walked away and stood over Piper. "The said can't be said for this one" She said gleefully as she drew out her wand. But that was a mistake as at that point Aerrow made his move.

"Expelliarmus!" He shouted knocking her wand out of her hand. Then before she could recover Aerrow pointed Petigrew's wand at their rucksacks and weapons. "Accio!" He commanded, sending their bags and weapons flying back into their owners hands. Lucius, his wife and Draco were all in the process of drawing their wands but they'd come to late as the Storm Hawks now had their weapons back. As Junko and Stork gathered everything Ace send a blast at Lucius, sending him flying before he'd had a chance to draw out his new wand, whilst Aerrow, who had chucked Petigrew's wand away in favour of using one of his own blades, and Finn were duelling with Draco and his mother. As Finn took shots with his crystal bolt cross bow, hoping for once to get through his opponents defensive and counter spells, Aerrow was gaining the upper hand against Draco.

"Stop!" Bellatrix suddenly ordered, stopping the fight almost immediately as she held Piper by the head with her dagger right up against her throat. "Drop you weapons, now!" She told the Storm Hawks who, not willing to risk Piper's life any further, dropped them at their feet. "I think were best to get this over with, let the dark master deal with you" Bellatrix said as she continued to hold Piper.

"Call her" She instructed Lucius, who gained a bit of his smugness back as he pulled back his sleeve to reveal his moving dark mark tattoo, which could summon Cyclonis at one touch. Just as Lucius was about to place a finger on the mark however, a slight squeaking noise made everyone look up. Kreacher was sitting on top of the rooms chandelier, unscrewing it. Bellatrix and Piper were standing right underneath it and as it finally fell Bellatrix pushed Piper forwards as she jumped back to save herself from being hit. Luckily Piper missed the chandelier by inches as she stumbled forward and was caught by Finn, who'd run up to her. In the chaos the Storm Hawks had regained their weapons and had also grouped together, along with the goblin who'd also managed to take Griffindor's sword in the confusion.

"Expelliarmus" Aerrow shouted, knocking Draco's wand out of his hands and into Aerrow's, who now held one of his blades and Draco's wand in either hand, before Draco could attack them again. Then before anymore attacks could come they all took hold of each other as Kreacher dissaperated them away.

They all slammed into the wet grass and lead there for a moment, in the shock and the relief of getting away. Sitting up the first thing Aerrow noticed was the salty taste to the air and the sound of a large amount of water nearby. They had dissaperated to the top of a grassy bank which had a forest on one side and a large lake and beach on the other. Then he heard a few sobs followed by reassuring voices and remembered Piper. Turning around he could see her in the arms of Finn, looking more shaken than he'd ever seen her before.

"Piper, Piper it's aright we're safe now, were all safe" He said rushing over to her with the others not far off.

"Where, where are we?" She managed to asked, looking around.

"Kreacher brought you to Master Bill and Mistress Flur's home on Terra Tinworth" Kreacher answered as he walked over, smiling at getting them all out safely as he pointed out the roof of a house, just visible a short distance away on the beach side of the bank. "Kreacher regrets he must leave now, as I see you are all safe now" Kreacher added as they all noticed Molly, who'd also been brought here and two other who looked like Bill and Flur heading in their direction.

"Kreacher, we can never thank you enough for this" Aerrow thanked, stopping himself from asked who had sent him or how they'd known they had been in trouble, the house elf, who seemed to turn bashful before he bowed respectfully and dissaperated away.

That night, as the Storm Hawks rested and recovered at the small cottage Bill and Flur, who had quickly taken them in along with Molly, Olivander and the goblin called Griphook, far away on a remote Terra filled with mountains and a large lake, stood a very peculiar structure. It was a marble white square slab. It was then that the slab began lifting up slightly before moving to the side and falling to the ground with a solid thud as a lone figure emerged from the nearby trees. Soon standing over the stone covering of the lone grave she lifted her wand and used it to crack open the covering. Leaning over the now open grave of Dumbledore, who's grave's magical protection had kept him preserved so well he looked as if he was sleeping, her lose raven black hair slightly brushed against the sides of the grave as she took what she'd come for. Dumbledore's wand. Taking the elder wand from the man's hands, which were laid on his chest. Master Cyclonis sneered before lifting the wand up in triumphant and sending out a thunderous blast into the sky which lit up the entire lake and surrounding mountain range.


	31. Chapter 31

The next day dawned clear and calm, with a hint of early spring in the air. The small stone cottage stood on it's own, remote enough so that no other landmarks could be seen. Finn and Piper were sat at the cottage's dinning room table whist Ace, Junko and Stork were sat nearby in the lounge area of the open plan downstairs of the cottage. Aerrow was stood in the doorway of the open back door, looking out at the view of the large lake. Molly was in the room too, looking with interest at a wind chime made of shells.

"It's beautiful here" She told Bill and Flur, who were preparing a meal in the kitchen.

"It was my aunt's, I use to come here as a kid, the Order uses it now for a safe house, what's left of us at least" Bill told her.

"Where are the rest of your squadron?" Molly asked Flur, noticing the Delacour squadron's absence.

"We decided to spread out, for safety, as have many other squadrons, the Storm Hawks are one of few who have stayed together" Flur told her a little sadly as Aerrow walked back into the house and up to them.

"I need to talk to the goblin" He told Bill.

Entering one of the two upstairs bedrooms Bill stood by the door as Aerrow and the other Storm Hawks walked in. Griphook, the goblin they'd rescued from Lucius's mansion, was sat in an armchair facing away from the door. Aerrow stepped forward a little as Bill left the room. "How are you?" He asked Griphook.

"You brought me here, at the risk of your own lives, not many, even other squadrons would have done so" Griphook replied as Aerrow walked over to the window on the other side of the room so that he could face Griphook, who seemed to be looking at him very curiously. "How did you come by this sword?" He asked, pointing to Griffindor's sword which was propped up against the wall near Aerrow.

"It's complicated" He replied casually, glancing at the sword before turning back to Griphook. "Why did Bellatrix think it should be in her vault?" He asked back. Griphook leaned forward slightly.  
>"It's complicated" He replied.<p>

"The sword presented it's self to us in a moment of need, we didn't steal it" Aerrow told him. Griphook seemed to consider for a moment.

"There is a sword in Madam Bellatrixe's Gringotts vault identical to this one but it is a fake" He explained, indicating Griffindor's sword. "An acquaintance placed it there this past summer" He added.

"And she never suspected?" Aerrow asked.

"The fake is very convincing, only a goblin, trained to work at Gringotts would be able to tell that this is the true sword of Griffindor" Griphook replied proudly.  
>"Who was the acquaintance?" Piper asked as she stood with the others by the door.<p>

"A professor at Hogwarts, I understand he is now headmaster" Griphook replied, looking over his shoulder at her before looking back at Aerrow.

"Severus, the guy who killed Dumbledore, he put a fake sword in Bellatrixe's vault, why?" Finn inquired.

"There are more than a few curious things in the vaults of Gringotts bank" Griphook explained.

"And in Bellatrixe's vault too?" Aerrow guessed.

"Perhaps" Griphook replied.

"Where is Gringotts?" Stork asked.

"On Terra Londonderry, it is the central bank of the Terra" Griphook answered, looking over his shoulder at him. Aerrow considered for a moment, then glancing at his team who were all thinking the same thing, he made his decision.

"We need to get into Gringotts, into one of the vaults" Aerrow told Griphook, who unsurprisingly seemed shocked.

"That is impossible" He warned.

"On our own yes, but with you no" Aerrow explained, knowing Griphook had previously worked at the bank. Griphook considered for a moment.

"And why should I help you?" He asked.

"What's your price?" Aerrow asked back with a small sigh, knowing he was dealing with someone who would look after himself first. Griphook smiled, showing his thin and pointed teeth.

"That" He said, pointing to Griffindor's sword. "That is my price" He said as the Storm Hawks all looked to the sword as well.

As Bill was sat at the dinning room table with Molly, on the upstairs landing the Storm Hawks were all stood talking.

"You think there's a horcruex in Bellatrixe's vault?" Piper asked Aerrow in a whisper.

"She was terrified when she'd thought we'd been there, kept asking what else we'd taken, I bet you anything there's a horcruex in there, another piece of her soul, lets find it and kill it and then were one step closer to finishing her" Aerrow whispered back.

"And what happens when we find it, we can't destroy it now that you've given the sword to Griphook" Finn told him.

"I know but, I never told him when he could have it, so we destroy the horcruex straight away and then give it him" Aerrow explained as Flur stepped of one of the two bedroom doors.

"He's weak" She reminded them as they nodded and entered the room she'd just left.


	32. Chapter 32

Olivander was sitting on a chair just besides the bedrooms window on the far side of the room.

"Yes?" He asked, sounding as weak and worn as he looked.

"Olivander, I need to ask you a few questions" Aerrow asked as he pulled out the wand he'd taken from Draco out from his jacket pocket.

"Anything my boy anything" Olivander replied weakly.

"I need to know if this wand is safe to use" Aerrow inquired as he walked up and handed Draco's wand over. Olivander looked a little confused.  
>"Nothing wrong with your blades is there, Phoenix tale core if I remember correctly?" He inquired as Aerrow sat down on the bed opposite him.<br>"No, I just want to know if it can be used if I need it" Aerrow replied with a small smile at the man's memory of every core and wand he'd sold. Olivander nodded in acceptance as he began looking over the thin and black wand.

"Hawthorn, and a dragonheart string core, ten inches, this was the wand of Draco" Olivander told them as he handed the wand back to Aerrow, who looked a little confused.

"Was, isn't it still?" He asked.  
>"Well perhaps not, if you won if from him, that is you took it by force, I sense it's allegiance has changed" Olivander replied. Aerrow considered for a moment.<p>

"You talk of wands and cores as if they have feelings, can think?" He inquired. Olivander lent forward a little.

"The core and wand chose the sorcerer Aerrow, that much is know to those of us who study them" He said with a small smile, echoing what he'd said on the day he'd first met Aerrow.

"And, what do you know of the Deathly Hallows" Aerrow asked quietly, getting to the point he'd really wanted to ask about. Olivander looked a little surprised and sat back in his seat.

"It is rumoured there are three, the elder wand, the cloak of invincibility to hide you from your enemies and the resurrection stone to bring back loved ones from the grave, together they make one master of death and to posses them all is to make oneself immortal, but few truly believe that such objects exist" Olivander dismissed.  
>"Do you, do you believe they exist?" Aerrow asked.<p>

"Well I, I seen no reason to put stock into an old wives tale" Olivander replied with a small, unconvincing smile.

"Your lying" Aerrow told him, remembering Cyclonis's vision, as Olivander's smile faded. "You know one exists, you told her about it, you told her about the elder wand and where she could go looking for it" He continued as Olivander looked very ashamed.

"She tortured me, besides I only conveyed rumours, there's no telling if she will find it" He told them.

"She has found it Olivander" Aerrow told him regrettably before standing up. "We'll leave you to get some rest" He added as he walked over to the others who were stood by the door.

"She is after you Aerrow, and if it's true what you say, that the dark master has the elder wand then, I'm afraid, you really don't stand a chance" Olivander said as the Storm Hawks were about to leave the room.

"Well I suppose I'll have to kill her before she finds me then" Aerrow coolly replied as he and the others left the room.

Later that day the Storm Hawks were sat around the dinning room table. Piper and Ace at first glance seemed to holding nothing between their finger and thumb but a closer look showed they were both actually holding a singular hair.

"Are you sure it's hers?" Finn asked Piper as they looked at the dark hair she was holding.

"Positive" She replied, remembering the singular hair from Bellatrix floating down onto her coat when she was lying on the mansion's floor.

"Who's have you got?" Aerrow asked Ace, indicating the hair he was holding.  
>"The snatcher's who grabbed me" He replied, the hair having got caught on his jacket in their capture.<p>

"So what's the plan?" Stork asked.

A few days later after running through the plan with Griphook the Storm Hawks were now stood on the grassy bank which overlooked Bill and Flur's house. Except not all of them looked like themselves anymore. Ace was, with the help of Polyjuice potion, one of the snatchers who'd helped capture them, Finn was carrying a transfiguration crystal, which prolonged it's effect, and now had longer curly ginger hair and a beard, Junko and Stork remained unchanged but had altered their hair and clothing whilst Aerrow, who would be using his mothers invincibility cloak, had done nothing to his appearance. Piper was now coming up the hill, but no longer looked like herself as she now had the appearance of Bellatrix, complete with black robes and heeled boots which Bellatrix tended to wear. They had all, apart from Aerrow, changed into clothing similar to those favoured by death eaters and snatchers.

"Well, how do I look?" Piper asked, not sounding happy at having to play Bellatrix and be the main person in their plan as it was her vault they were breaking into.

"Hideous" Finn jokingly replied as Griphook, who would also be going under the invincibility cloak, came up the hill holding Griffindor's sword.

"You can give that to Piper to hold aright Griphook" Aerrow said to the goblin, weary that he was only doing this for the sword and would not stay for a second after getting it. Piper bent down and held her extended bag open so that Griphook could place the sword into it, which also held all of their belongings apart from their weapons. They then gathered in a circle and all held out a hand to the centre, so that they were all holding on to each other.

"Were relying on you Griphook, of you get us past the guards and into the vault then the swords yours" Aerrow reminded Griphook as the goblin hovered his hand about theirs. With a nod Griphook placed his and on theirs and dissaperated them away.


	33. Chapter 33

They all landed in a narrow and shadowy alleyway. At one end of the ally they could just about see one corner of the tall and narrow marble building which housed Gringotts. As Piper walked to the archway at the end of the ally to make sure the way was clear, the others lingered in the shadows. Suddenly a man, walking in the main street, spotted Piper.  
>"Madam Bellatrix" He greeted as he passed.<p>

"Good morning" Piper replied, sounding far too polite for Bellatrix. To everyone's relief the man carried on walking, although he did give a very confused glance as he went.

"Good morning, good morning, your meant to be Bellatrix not some dewy eyed girl" Griphook hissed at Piper in annoyance for nearly giving them away.

"Hey easy" Finn warned him as Piper rejoined them.  
>"If she gives us away we might as well use Griffindor's sword to slit our own throats, understand" Griphook spat back.<p>

"No he's right, I was being stupid" Piper scalded herself.

"Come on, let's get this over with" Aerrow said, not wanting any delays. The others nodded as he bent down to allow Griphook to jump onto his back before Piper took out the invincibility cloak and threw it over them, making them both disappear from sight.

Soon they had all entered Gringotts main hall, which like the outside of the building was marble and had very tall desks running down, forming a walkway to a head desk at the other side. Piper glanced over at the others for encouragement as they then began walking forward. With Piper in the lead, struggling to walk in her heeled boots, the goblins, who were sat working at the desks, stopped and glanced at the new arrivals. From underneath the invincibility cloak Aerrow and Griphook could also see, more worryingly, more uniformed guards who'd been at the Ministry. Upon reaching the head desk, where a goblin was sat behind writing in a large ledger, Piper cleared her throat to get the goblins attention. The goblin took no notice as the Storm Hawks all awkwardly stood there.

"I wish to enter my vault" She said, trying to sound like Bellatrix.  
>"Identification" The goblin asked, not looking up at her as he carried on writing.<p>

"I hardly think that is necessary" Piper said back as the goblin finally looked up.

"Madam Bellatrix" He said, his manners and enthusiasm improving almost instantly before he left for a back room behind his desk.  
>"I don't like to be kept waiting" Piper said as he walked off.<p>

"They know, they know were imposters" Griphook whispered harshly so that only Aerrow and Finn, who was stood right next to them, could hear. Finn nervously glanced over his shoulder to see one of the uniformed guards at the other end of the hall, who was walking slowly in their direction with a very curious expression. "They've been warned" Griphook added as Finn turned his head back to the high desk again.  
>"Aerrow, what do we do?" He asked as quietly and as subtly as he could as another goblin appeared with the first behind the high desk.<p>

"Madam Bellatrix, would you mind presenting your wand?" He asked as Piper and the others tried to hid their worry, the one thing they didn't have was Bellatrixe's wand.  
>"And why should I do that?" Piper questioned, trying to sound offended.<p>

"It's the bank's policy, surely you can understand with the current climate" The goblin tried to reason. Unbeknownst to him however, Aerrow, still carrying Griphook on his back, had snuck round to the side of the desk.

"No, I must certainly do not understand" Piper insistent, trying to stop the goblin from persisting as it was beginning to make them look more and more suspicious.

"I'm afraid I must insist" The goblin told her. But before Piper could reply Aerrow, who was now to the side of the goblin had pointed his blade and muttered.  
>"Imperio" Underneath his breath, forcing the goblin to become hypnotised under his control.<p>

"Very well Madam Bellatrix, if you would kindly follow me" The goblin said in a slightly day dream voice as he indicated them to follow, with eyes that looked a little distant and glazed over.

Instead of a few vaults in a back room like they'd expected the Storm Hawks found themselves in a large cart on tracks. Aerrow had taken the invincibility cloak off, as they were alone now apart from the imerised goblin who sat at the front next to Griphook who was sat at the controls.

If the cart had been a surprise, it was nothing compared to the track it was on which dived, dipped and turned at a great speed like a roller coaster as it travelled through an enormous cave. Rounding a corner, they were able to see the track they were going on down below, where oddly a waterfall was falling on a piece of the track. It was then that Aerrow noticed Griphook rushing to stop the cart.  
>"What is it, Griphook?" He asked, having to shout over the noise of the cart breaks grinding on the track. Griphook didn't answer as he continued to try and stop the cart. But it was no use, they'd been travelling too fast. Crashing through the waterfall, and getting soaked in the process, the cart finally stopped. That was when a small light rose out of compartment at the front of the cart and began flashing red. It was quickly followed by an alarm, but that wasn't their main problem as a second later the seats of the cart they'd been sat on suddenly folded flat, causing them all to fall through the holes in the cart and continue falling a lot further down.<p> 


	34. Chapter 34

The ground was hurtling towards them and a dizzying speed.

"Aresto momentum!" Aerrow managed to yell, pointing to the ground with one of his blades as they fell. A second before smashing into the rocks below everyone was caught mid-air by a force holding them up. Then the spell broke and they hit the floor, although painful, they were grateful it had been inches and not hundreds of feet away.

"Thanks Aerrow" Piper gasped as all shakily they stood up. Looking up they could see the now empty cart on the tracks far above them, which had carried on along the track to no doubt raise the alarm with it's flashing red light and buzzing alarm.

"Oh no, you look like you again" Aerrow said worriedly as he noticed Ace, Piper and Finn were all back to normal again.

"The thief's downfall, washes away all enchantments and crystal effects, can be deadly" Griphook explained.  
>"You don't say" Stork mumbled as he shook off the worst of the water. "Just out of interest, is there any other way out of here?" He asked, sounding a little worried.<br>"No" Griphook replied grimly as the other goblin turned around to face them.  
>"What in the name of Atmos are all you doing down here!" He shouted in shock, no longer under the Imperious curse as the waterfall had broken the spell. "Thieves, thieves here to..." He tried to shout but was cut off as Aerrow put him under another Imperious curse and became compliant again. Taking a few moments to look around they saw they had landed on a large rocky ledge which was part of a walkway which ran right to the top of the cave and carried on even further down past where they were. A distant roar was suddenly heard.<p>

"That doesn't sound good" Finn said as they listened to it.

Walking along the walkway they soon found what had caused the roar as, carved into the stone was a circle of pillars. And in the middle of the pillars was a huge pale grey dragon. This one however, looked noting like the fierce and strong beast that Aerrow had battle in the Tri-Sky Knight tournament. Instead it looked weakened, thin and was covered in old scars and wound marks, especially around the neck where a great iron chain had been tightly wrapped around and fastened at the other side to the stone wall. Aerrow also noticed that it's eyes seemed to be crusted over and realised the beast was also blind.

"That's an ironbelly" Finn, recognising the species, said in surprise and worry.

"Here" Griphook said as, from a wooden box just next to them, he handed them each a double ended bell. That was when the dragon seemed to sense them and began to look threatening. It was then that Griphook began walking forward and ringing his bell. To everyone's surprise the dragon started to shy away and back off. "It's trained to expect pain when it hears the noise" Griphook explained as they all began walking around it.

"That's barbaric" Piper scalded, not ringing her bell as the creature whimpered and cried as if it was being hurt.

As they cleared the dragon they soon reached a large iron door where Griphook pressed the other goblin's hand against it before the door unlocked and opened. As they stepped in they found themselves in a large vault full of gold, jewels and other wealthy objects which looked as if they belonged in a museum. The door behind them suddenly shut, blocking any light they had until Aerrow lit up the tip of his blade, as Griphook and the other goblin remained besides it in order to reopen the door, the Storm Hawks walked into the centre of the room.

"Where do we start?" Stork asked as the Storm Hawks all began looking around the masses of objects, any one of which could be the horcruex.

"Is it in here Aerrow, can you feel anything?" Finn asked, knowing Aerrow reacted to and sensed the horcruexs better owing to his connection with Cyclonis. Aerrow didn't reply but look around and listened carefully. Then he heard the same noise he'd heard when he had walked up the the locket horcruex. Looking up he saw, tucked in a corner of the vault on it's highest shelf, was a small golden cup. Behind him Piper suddenly gasped as she'd knocked a silver box off a table, but it wasn't that had made her gasp but the fact that the box had begun to duplicate itself.

"That's it up there" Aerrow told them all, pointing at the cup as Finn also knocked into objects which began to multiply.  
>"They've added the Gemino curse" Griphook warned from where he stood at the door as the floor began to rapidly disappear underneath the multiplying treasure.<p>

"Give me the sword" Aerrow said as the treasure began reaching their knees. Piper pulled Griffindor's sword out of her extended bag and threw it to him as she and the other Storm Hawks were beginning to become stuck in the mounting piles. Catching the sword in one hand Aerrow raced forward towards the cup as he too battled with the crushing amount of objects.

Using the pile to heighten himself towards the cup, but getting buried in the process, Aerrow managed to hook the tip of Griffindor's sword through one of the cups handles and slide it down the blade. Then he disappeared from the other's view.

"Stop moving" Ace said as they all stood waist deep in the objects. The multiplying mercifully stopped as they all watched the large pile in from for any signs of Aerrow. After a tense few moments he finally emerged, bursting through the objects, which began multiplying again, holding Griffindor's sword with the horcruex hanging on the blade. As he reached the others however, he stumbled against the loose objects and the horcruex flew off the blade. After a moment of panic they saw it was thankfully caught by Griphook. Their relief however, didn't last long as Griphook then seemed to hold the cup away from them as he developed a very nasty grin.  
>"We had a deal Griphook" Aerrow reminded him as he and the others battled against the piles of objects.<p>

"The cup for the sword" Griphook demanded, holding out his free hand for the sword. Knowing he didn't have any choice Aerrow flung the sword at the goblin who after catching it by the hilt threw the small cup at them where Piper managed to catch it. "I said I'd get you in, I didn't say anything about getting you out" Griphook told them as he reopened the door and left with the other goblin and Griffindor's sword in hand.

"Griphook!" Aerrow shouted in anger as they were forced to swim against the objects.


	35. Chapter 35

Luckily the door had become wedged open so that any objects that would have fully submerged the Storm Hawks instead spilled out into the corridor outside. As they stumbled out of the door they could hear Griphook ringing the bell which repealed the dragon among shouts and cries of 'Thieves, thieves'. Reaching the end of the corridor, which ended in a balcony overlooking the circle of pillars which housed the dragon, the Storm Hawks saw Griphook at the other side, making his escape. The other Goblin however, wasn't making any such movement as he began to oddly shake his hand up and down as if he was holding a bell as he walked towards the dragon.

"He's still under the Imperious curse" Ace said as they could only watch the goblin edge closer to the dragon, looking as if he was in a day dream. The dragon suddenly took notice of him and let out a huge fireball which engulfed the unfortunate goblin, reducing him to ashes.

"That's not good" Junko said as they then saw more goblins and uniformed guards running towards them. Once spotted the spells and blasts began flying as the uniformed guards began firing at them. Hiding behind the sides of the balconies pillars as the spells and blast came through the middle there was no chance of a counter attack.

"What are we going to do, we can't just stand here!" Stork shouted over the noise as he stood next to Aerrow and Junko whilst Ace, Finn and Piper stood at the other side.

I've got a plan, but it's mad!" Piper replied as she opened out her crystal staff before peeping round for a second to blast the stone guard rail off the balcony. She ran out from behind the pillar and leapt onto the dragons back as below, the goblins and guards were forced to shelter behind the pillars from the dragons fireballs. Sitting in-between the spikes running down the dragons back Piper turned back to them. "Well come on then!" She shouted as spells and blasts went everywhere. After a nervous glance at each other, the others all followed her lead and leapt onto the dragon too. As everyone managed to sit between the spikes Piper turned around to the chain which held the dragon to the wall and severed it with another blast from her staff. Whether it was the number of blasts hitting it, the loosened chain or the scent of fresh air far above it, just through the cave's roof, but the dragon began to climb and scramble up the cave's wall as the Storm Hawks held on for dear life.

Soon the dragon had carried them far up the cave and away from the uniform guards. Reaching the cart track, which ran against the wall halfway up the cave, the Storm Hawks could see a cart full of more guards and goblins heading their way. Before they could counter however, the dragon had continued moving up the cave wall, ripping through the track ahead of the now doomed cart and carried on climbing as the Storm Hawks saw the cart plummet off the track and it's occupants fall with it towards the cave floor.

In the banks main hall, it was a typical day as the goblins went about their work. One goblin however, seemed to take notice of a very small movement. The pile of coins in front of him on his desk had begun to rattle. The goblin watched in puzzlement as the pile toppled over owing to the increasing vibrations as other goblins also took note of the strange vibrations, particularly as it was causing the large crystal chandelier above to rattle and make a slight clinking noise as the crystal beads tapped against each other. A split second later the dragon, carrying the Storm Hawks, burst through the floor right in front of the head desk. There was chaos as the dragon began smashing it's way down the hall as the goblins and guards ran from it's fireballs. Reaching the chandelier, which hung above a glass dome, the dragon stood up on it's front legs, knocking the chandelier to the floor and showering both the Storm Hawks and any remaining workers with crystal shards as it shattered as it climbed up and through the dome, destroying it with it's head and shoulders. As it climbed onto the buildings roof it paused as if to revel in it's freedom.

"Now what?" Finn said desperately as the Storm Hawks held on best they could, needing to get as far from Gringotts as possible. Aerrow paused for a moment, hoping the dragon would take off on it's own, but when it didn't he knew something had to persuaded it to.

"Hold on!" He shouted to the others as he turned around and sent a stinging charm at the dragons tail. The sharp and sudden pain spooked the dragon enough to jump up and take flight. Well almost take flight as, owing to it's lack of practise, it bashed into the chimneys of buildings surrounding the bank as it finally lifted off into the sky.

Soon it was flying far above the built up landscape of Terra Londonderry, soaring without a care and determined to get far away from it's prison as it unknowingly carried it's passengers, who also shared it's wish as they could only hold on and hope that it wouldn't be too long before they could find a way off.


	36. Chapter 36

What felt like hours later, having flown far across Atmos, the dragon had found a small mountainous Terra full of small lakes.

"Were getting lower!" Ace shouted over the noise of the rushing wind as the dragon was indeed losing altitude, most likely to rest on a nearby mountain top.

"I say we drop!" Aerrow suggested, not wanting to be near the dragon when it took notice of the six snack size bites riding on it's back.

"When!" Stork shouted, sounded terrified at the prospect. Aerrow looked at how high they were up from the lake they were now flying over before choosing his moment.

"Now!" He shouted. All at once the Storm Hawks let go on the dragon and threw themselves off it's back and dropped into the icy water below.

Sinking far below the surface from the force of the fall they all kicked and pushed their way to the surface for much needed air.

It was as Aerrow broke through the lakes surface that, despite the cold of the lake, he felt the scar of his arm burn. Then his vision left the icy lake and traveller to Lucius's manors dining room where Cyclonis was stood in fury attacking a number of goblins and uniformed guards with the elder wand she'd taken from Dumbledore's grave. The Aerrow saw visions of the horcruexs and their destruction as the ring, the diary and the locket were all seen being destroyed along with the cup being stolen as Cyclonis continued her raged attack. The final vision showed Aerrow something new. It was a dark blue banner with the symbol of a eagle, then it showed Hogwarts castle and the ghost of a woman with long brown hair. Then he was back in the freezing lake with the others as they began swimming for land. "She knows, she knows we broke into Gringotts and took the cup and that were hunting the horcruexs" Aerrow rapidly told the others as they stumbled out of the water.

"How do you know?" Piper asked as they walked away from the lake.

"I saw it" Aerrow replied as he shivered badly from the cold water.

"You let her in, Aerrow you can't do that" Piper scalded as they reached the top of the lakes bank.

"Piper I can't always help it, look we haven't got the time to figure it out" Aerrow urged as Piper pulled out the bottle of essence of dinity from her bag and passed it over to Ace.  
>"So what happened, what did you see" Finn asked as Ace began dripping the medicine over their bruised and scratched hands, caused by holding onto the dragon for so long.<p>

"Well, she's angry, scared and she knows if we destroy them all we'll be able to kill her, I reckon she'll stop at nothing to stop us finding the others" Aerrow told them. "And there's more, one of them is at Hogwarts, I saw the castle and Ravenclaw's symbol, it must be something to do with her, we need to go there now" He added rapidly as he and the others, apart from Piper, began to take off their wet jackets and tops in favour for warm and dry ones which Piper was pulling out off her bag.

"What, we can't do that, we have to plan and..." Piper began.

"Piper, we haven't got the time, she's desperate, besides when have any of our recent plans worked, we plan, we get there and all hell breaks loose" Aerrow urged again as he pulled on a dry shirt as Piper wrapped herself up in a towel and brought out her own dry clothes.

"One problem with going to Hogwarts though, Severus is headmaster, we can't just walk in through the front door" Stork reminded them.

"We can go to the small town next to the castle, find a way to get in that way, there are plenty of passageways in" Ace told them.

"There's something wrong with her though, like she's wounded, I think she'll be more dangerous than ever, so we need to go now" Aerrow told them as they finished changing and packed away their wet clothing.

At Lucius's mansion the bodies of those Cyclonis had killed lay around her as she walked through the dinning room with her snake, Nagini, slithering besides her.

"They have found out our secret Nagini" She spoke softly to the snake in Parsultounge as Lucius, his wife and son watched in fear from one side of the room. "It makes us vulnerable, we must use all our strength to find them, and you my friend shall be with me" She continued to speak to Nagini as she then dissaperated out of the room. Among the bodies was Griphook, still holding Griffindor's sword in his unmoving hand. What went unnoticed, was that Griffindor's sword then disappeared out of his hand.


	37. Chapter 37

Night had fallen by the time the Storm Hawks had reached Terra Hogsmead. The village, still covered in in a thin blanket of snow owing to it's high altitude, which overlooked Hogwarts castle, in the valley below, seemed suspiciously quiet. But the peace was short lived as a second after they'd transported in, a loud and almost screeching alarm blasted out all around the village. Diving into a street just as the doorway of the village's inn burst open, spilling light out into the darkened street, the Storm Hawks heard the yells and shouts of many death eaters and snatchers. In the villages market square two death eaters were searching around the empty stalls, unaware that the Storm Hawks were hidden just meters away behind one of the stalls. Just as they neared the very stall they were hidden at the alarm mercifully resounded, causing the death eaters to look elsewhere in their rush to find them, leaving the Storm Hawks a moment to breath in relief.

Running through a narrow alleyway, trying to navigate a way either to the castle or out of the village, the Storm Hawks turned a corner, and came to a locked gate. Hearing the shouts draw closer and the gate not budging Aerrow fleetingly considered transporting out of the village and finding another route when he heard a door open right besides them.  
>"In here Storm Hawks" An urgent voice whispered. Trapped between the death eaters or a stranger, they chose the stranger without a second thought and ran through the door and into a dark hallway as the door was shut and locked behind them. Walking in further and past whoever had sheltered them, they found going down a flight of stairs and into a small old fashioned lounge and dinning room.<p>

"Did you get a look at him?" Finn whispered to them, indicating the stairs they;d just come down. "For a second I thought it was..." He began.

"I know, Dumbledore" Piper agreed as they looked around the room. One object caught their eye in particular. It was a large painting, hung above a large cabinet on the other side of the room. The painting was of a young girl, no older than fourteen or fifteen, wearing an old fashioned blue dress and like the paintings in Hogwarts, she was moving although, only ever so slightly.

"You bloody fools, what were you thinking of coming here, do you know how dangerous it is?" An elderly but angry voice suddenly sounded, distracting them from the painting. Their rescuer had just walked in and, their reminder of Dumbledore hadn't been far off. The man looked the same age, had round glasses and blue eyes identical to Dumbledore's. The man even had a long beard, although his was shorter and greyer than Dumbledore's had been.

"Your Abaforth, Dumbledore's brother" Piper suddenly realised, having read about Dumbledore's family in Skeeter's book.

"Been reading Skeeter have you, blasted woman got one fact right then" Abaforth mumbled as he walked over to a doorway next to the flight of stairs.

"You can come out now" He said into the room. The sound of someone putting something down in a hurry and rush over was heard before, to the Storm Hawks surprise, Kreacher walked into the room.

"Kreacher?" Ace asked in surprise as the house elf, who'd saved them from Lucius's mansion, bowed to them with a big smile on his face.

"Wait, it was that sent Kreacher to help us" Aerrow realised as he looked back to Abaforth who made no sign to disagree. "How did you know..." Aerrow began to ask.

"My brother planned a lot of things in the event of his death, including the loyalties and locations of house elves" Abaforth said with a shrug, not explaining exactly how Dumbledore had managed to ensure that Kreacher was able to sense their need for help or where they were.

Kreacher then brought in warm drinks for everyone which were gratefully accepted after the chillness of the lake and village.

"Do you hear from the others much, from the order?" Piper asked Abaforth as she finished her drink.

"The orders finished, the dark masters won, anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves" Abaforth replied in a negative tone.

"We need to get into Hogwarts, tonight, Dumbledore gave us a job to do" Aerrow, who was stood in front of the lit fireplace, told him, knowing Abaforth wouldn't like that idea.

"Did he now, nice job, easy" Abaforth replied sarcastically.

"We've been hunting horcruexs and we think the last one is inside the castle, but we need your help getting in" Aerrow asked him.

"It's not a job my brother's given you, it's a suicide mission, do yourselves a favour all of you, go home, your live a little longer" Abaforth replied, sounding defeated but unconcerned by it.

"We can't it's our job, and Dumbledore trusted us to see it through" Aerrow responded, seeing it would be difficult to persuade the man.

"What makes you think you can trust him, what makes you think you can believe anything my brother told you, tell me in all the time you knew him, did he ever mention my name, did he ever mention hers" Abaforth replied, pointing at the painting.

"Why should he?" Aerrow asked, realising there was an element of truth in what Abaforth had said about Dumbledore not always being upfront about the truth, as he too looked at the painting.

"Keep secrets, you tell me" Abaforth inquired, though he already had his opinion on his brother set in stone.  
>"I trusted him" Aerrow reminded him.<br>"That's a boy's answer, one who started chasing horcruexs on the word of a man who won't even tell him were to start, your lying" Abaforth challenged as he walked over to Aerrow as the others watched from around the table. "Not just to me, that doesn't matter, but to yourself as well, that's what a fool does and you don't seem like a fool Aerrow, so there must be a reason" He inquired as he continued to tarnish Dumbledore's name as he stood in front of Aerrow.

"Look, I'm not interested in what happened between you and your brother, I don't care that you've given up, but, we've been battling against her and her forces long before we knew him, years before and, I trusted the man I knew to help us and, his help has got us this far but we need to get into the castle, tonight" Aerrow told him determinedly. Abaforth seemed to be defeated in persuading him otherwise, so turned to the portrait of the young girl.

"You know what to do" He told her. The girl nodded and turned, walking up a path which had been hidden from view and soon grew into a tiny dot in the painting.

"Where have you sent her?" Junko asked as the Storm Hawks all stood in front of the painting.  
>"You'll see, soon enough" Abaforth replied as he began to walk out of the room.<p>

"That's your sister Ariarna isn't it?" Piper asked softly as Abaforth was about to leave the room. "She died very young, didn't she?" Piper continued to inquire, having read Skeeter's book.

"My brother sacrificed many things Storm Hawks, in his journey to power, including Ariarna, and she was devoted to him" Abaforth told them all, though looked at Aerrow in particular.

"Thank you Abaforth" Piper thanked as they watched the man leave the room.

"He did save our lives twice by sending Kreacher and sheltering us, that doesn't seen like someone whose given up" Piper responded to the looks she received for thanking Abaforth. Looking back at the painting they saw Ariarna walking back up the path towards them. And she wasn't alone.


	38. Chapter 38

A shadowy figure was walking behind Ariarna.

"Who's that with her?" Ace asked as they tried to make out the figure. But Ariarna kept the person hidden right up until she reached her original position, and the painting swung open. Behind it was a narrow passageway and standing in the passageway was Harrier, Sky Knight of the Rex Guardians, who'd they'd last seen at the wedding, though Harrier himself had changed a bit as his long blond ponytail had been cut off leaving his hair shorter than Aerrow's.

"Harrier?" Aerrow asked in surprise as the man stood in the entrance if the passageway.

"Trust me, your not the ones most surprised here" He said with a grin.

Walking down the dark and cobwebbed passageway, with only their weapon light and Aerrow's lumos spell, it was hard to seen where they were going.

"I don't remember this passageway?" Ace asked, having know Hogwarts castle for longer.

"That's because it didn't exist until now, the passages you knew about were sealed off when Severus took over, this is the only way in or out now, grounds are crawling with death eaters and Dementors" Harrier explained as they walked down the underground passageway which lead them from the village towards the castle.

"How did you get in?" Aerrow asked.

"Some of us came straight after the Ministry had fallen, Hogwarts hadn't been taken over at that point and Professor McGonagall sheltered us somewhere untraceable" Harrier replied with a grin.

"How'd you mean untraceable?" Finn asked.

"There's this room in the castle that only appears when it's needed and becomes whatever is needed, not many people know about it, but McGonagall did and summoned a room for us to hide in, this tunnel links us to Abaforth so we can get food and supplies" Harrier told them as they seemed to reach the other end of the passageway, were the back of another painting stood, acting as a door.

"And when you say us?" Aerrow inquired. Harrier replied with another grin as he opened the painting.

"Hey listen up you lot, I've brought you a surprise" He announced into the room as he stood in front of the Storm Hawks, blocking them from view.

"Not more of Abaforth's cooking I hope, be a surprise if we can ingest it" Seamus, a young man with sandy hair and the Sky Knight of Terra Tundras, said in a slight brogue accent. Harrier gave a slight shake of his head and stepped aside to reveal the Storm Hawks standing behind him. "Blimey" Seamus commented as he and everyone else in the room stood up in shock and began applauding them.

If they had been shocked it was nothing compared to the Storm Hawks's, who quickly found themselves being greeted by nearly every Sky Knight squadron they knew including, the rest of the Rex Guardians, the Delacour's minus Flur, Cedric's old squadron the Diggory's now headed by Cho and the Bulgarians with their Sky Knight Victor. They were also greeted by squadrons they didn't know and even more surprisingly a number of Hogwarts students, whose parents had been causing trouble for Cyclonis and her regime, forcing them into hiding in a room just as surprising as it's occupants, with camp beds and hammocks set up everywhere surrounding a large lit fireplace, the room also had a small veranda which overlooked the outside castle and, like the rest of the room was only visible to those who knew about it. As the Storm Hawks were greeting everyone Harrier spotted someone peeping out from the veranda. He smiled, knowing who she wanted. Walking over to Aerrow he told him he was wanted on the veranda and pointed it out to him.

Aerrow was confused by Harrier's ask as he stepped onto the veranda.

"Hello" A singular word was spoken from behind him in a voice that made his heart stop. Wheeling round he saw Starling, standing besides one of the veranda's arches, hidden from view until he'd stepped out onto the veranda. Maybe it was the fact that he'd not seen her in months, but Aerrow though she'd never looked more beautiful. Her deep purple hair had grow since the wedding and was held up in her usual ponytail and she was wearing a simple black jacket, purple shirt, jeans and flight boots. "You just going to stand there?" She asked, her face beaming. Aerrow managed to snap from his thoughts and tried to speak and step forward before he was nearly bowled over by her as she ran up and into his arms.

"What are you doing here?" Aerrow finally managed to ask her.

"I could ask you the same thing, does this mean your done, with the horcruexs?" She asked hopefully.

"Almost there's one here at the castle, then we think her snake's one too but..." Aerrow began.

"To go after the snake means going after her" Starling guessed.

As the two Sky Knight talked Harrier had approached Seamus.  
>"Tell the order that the Storm Hawks are back" He asked. Seamus nodded and walked over to the radio they used to send coded messages to each other.<p>

"Order, order do you read, we have a new weather report, we have a new weather report, the storm has hit, repeat the storm has hit" He spoke into the radio, hoping the recipients were listening.


	39. Chapter 39

After talking to Starling alone for a few minutes Aerrow had walked back into the room, affectionately nicknamed the room of requirement by it's users, with her so that she could reacquaint with the other Storm Hawks.

"So what's the plan?" Harrier asked expectantly as the last of the greetings died down and everyone gathered together.

"Well, there's something we need to find, it's hidden here in the castle and it may help us defeat the dark master" Aerrow told them as they all listened in expectantly.

"Right, what is it?" Harrier asked.

"We don't know" Aerrow replied with a slight shrug.

"Where is it?" Victor asked from where he was stood in the crowd.

"We don't know that either" Piper replied, sounding slightly embarrassed as everyone exchanged nervous glances.

"I realise it's not much to go on" Aerrow said apologetically.

"That's nothing to go on" Seamus replied.

"We just know it's something to do with Ravenclaw, one of Hogwarts founders, It'll be small, easily concealed, anyone any ideas?" Aerrow asked, looking particularly at the Hogwarts students who were wearing Ravenclaw's symbol on their school cloak, which was one of four houses named after the four founders. Everyone looked just as lost as they did.

"Well, there is Ravenclaw's lost diadem" A young woman with long blond hair, most likely in Seamus's squadron owing to her similar brogue accent, spoke up from the crowd. "The lost diadem of Ravenclaw, hasn't anyone heard of it?" She asked, looking around.

"Yes but Luna, it's lost for centuries now" Cho, who was standing next to Luna, told her.

"Sorry but, what's a diadem?" Finn asked.

"It's like a crown or a tiara, Ravenclaw was supposed to have one, well, at least that's how the story goes, but there's not a person alive today who's seen it" Cho explained.

"But people have heard of though, gone hunting for it?" Aerrow asked, guessing that if Cyclonis had heard the story she would have likely gone after it.

"It's well know to any who attend Hogwarts, but like I said it's been lost for centuries" Cho told him. Aerrow considered for a moment as he looked back to his team, who looked like they were all thinking the same thing. The diadem sounded like the perfect horcruex, lost, famous and known to Cyclonis.

A slight rippling noise was heard, causing everyone to look to the other side of the room where members of the Order of the Phoenix, including Lupin, Tonks, Sirius, Molly and Arthur with their children, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George, had just dissaperated into the room.

"Storm Hawks" Lupin said in surprise of seeing the squadron having actually re emerged.

"Lupin..." Aerrow began to greet, but was distracted by Flur, who'd just dissaperated in, looking very worried. "Flur what is it?" Aerrow asked, noting her worry.

"Severus knows you were spotted in the village, he's gathering all the staff and students in the hall" She announced as everyone looked to the Storm Hawks for a plan.

"What are we going to do?" Starling, who was stood next to Aerrow, asked them.

"Well, we can't sneak about anymore, whatever were going to do it'll be direct and out in the open" Aerrow replied as he considered. This was met by a murmured agreement from everyone.

"Well in that case I think you should all take something before we get started" Starling told them with a smile as she nodded at Harrier who, along with his squadron, walked through the crowd to a nearby cabinet to seemingly get something.  
>"What's going on?" Aerrow asked Starling, who only replied with a grin as Harrier and his team returned, each carrying a small bundle.<p>

"We managed to get these out of Molly's house before the death eaters searched it" Starling told them as the Rex Guardians unfolded the bundles, which were in fact the Storm Hawks hooded jackets that bared their symbol, which had been left behind in their rush to leave during the wedding attack. The Storm Hawks must looked surprised as they were handed their jackets as everyone's smiles increased. "Whatever happens tonight, we think it's time that the Storm Hawks came back" Starling said among agreeing faces as the Storm Hawks took off the jackets they were wearing and put on their uniformed ones, looking like a squadron again for the first time in months.

"Right, the plan" Aerrow began, having thought up something risky but something that could work, as everyone listened. "I'm going to need a transfiguration crystal..." He said with a look at Piper, who nodded. "...and a Hogwarts cloak" Aerrow finished with a confident grin.


	40. Chapter 40

Severus had indeed called for all the staff and students to gather in the hall. The final group of students were marching in formation through the entrance hall in silence under the watchful gaze of the death eaters which had replaced some of the staff.

Soon all the students were stood in the emptied great hall in four square shapes with the rest of their house. Severus then made himself know, walking through the hall, past the students and to the head of the hall.

"Many of you are surly wandering why I have summoned you here at his hour" He began, turning round to face the students. "It has come to my attention that earlier this evening, the Storm Hawks were spotted in the nearby village" He announced, causing a ripple of whispering to travel through the students and for the other staff, including professor McGonagall, to look surprised. "Now" Severus spoke again, silencing the whispers. "Should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid the Storm Hawks, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their actions, further more, any person found with knowledge of these events, who fails to came forward, will be treated as equally guilty" He warned as all, but two of the death eaters stood behind him, tried not to look like they knew something. "Now then, if anyone does have any knowledge of the Storm Hawks movements this evening, I invite then to step forward, now" Severus ordered as he walked past the first two groups of students. When everyone remained silent he turned on his heel and began to walk back to the head of the hall. That was when the students began whispering and again. Turning back around Severus saw the cause of their whispers. A student had walked out from the Griffindor section. He looked around seventeen or eighteen with sandy coloured hair and light blue eyes. "Well?" Severus snapped a little when the student didn't automatically say anything but instead stood there starring almost angrily at him. The student didn't speak but slowly, so that everyone in the hall could see, placed a hand in his cloak pocket, which lay over his clothing, and pulled out a small crystal, causing more whispers and a few gasps. Severus then watched in confusion and curiosity as the student them dropped the crystal onto the floor, shattering it. That was when Severus and everyone else in the hall realised what was going on as the second the crystal had shattered it's effect had worn off and the students hair turned read with his eyes turning emerald green and Severus found himself facing the Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks.

"It seems that despite your exhausted defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem headmaster" Aerrow announced, taking off the borrowed Griffindor cloak which covered up his symbolized jacket, jeans and flight boots, as behind him the hall doors were opened and the Sky Knights, squadrons, students and Order members, including the other Storm Hawks and Starling, all walked in and stood behind Aerrow. "And I'm afraid it's quite extensive" Aerrow nearly snarled as he watched Severus's and a few others faces turn sour whilst everyone else's, including most of the staff's lit up. "You've got some nerve standing there, standing in the place of a man who trusted you, only for you to betray and kill him for her!" Aerrow nearly shouted in his rage. The of Severus's face twitched for moment before he pulled out his wand. The students all backed up the sides of the hall as Aerrow also drew his blades, but at the same time professor McGonagall had walked over to Aerrow's side with her wand also drawn and pointed at Severus as behind all those who'd just entered the hall also drew their weapons.

The tense stand off ended as McGonagall fired a spell at Severus, who quickly blocked it. McGonagall then began firing spells more rapidly as Severus continued to block them, with no room to attack as he was slowly forced to back towards the large stain glass window behind him. One of these spells veered off and knocked out the two death eater teachers as Severus ran out of ground. Before McGonagall could fire again Severus suddenly dissaperated into black smoke and smashed through the window and into the night, causing a cheer to rise from the liberated students. But outside the death eaters patrolling the grounds had seen the commotion.

"Sound her!" One of them shouted, knowing his master would want to know about the breech.

Inside the castle as the students continued cheering as McGonagall stood on the raised platform which the head table sat on and used her wand to light up the large torch brackens on the wall, spilling light and warmth all around the hall. That was when Aerrow began to feel cold and dizzy. He felt himself sway a little before he half fell, half sat on the steps of the platform as he heard Cyclonis's voice.  
>"Aerrow" She whispered in a cold and angered tone. McGonagall, who was stood right next to him noticed and bend down in concern as all around, despite the torches, the hall became very dark and very cold, causing nervous and frightened whisperers to ripple through the crowd.<p>

Then someone screamed.


	41. Chapter 41

The scream was what brought Aerrow round as he came to his feet and rushed over to the noise. One of the students, a young girl no older than eleven or twelve was stood huddled in a corner with her hands covering her ears as she screamed in terror. Then someone else screamed, making everyone look in the opposite direction to see and older girl also covering her ears as she screamed. Aerrow was beginning to go over to her when he found out what was causing them to scream.

"I know that many of you will want to fight" Cyclonis's voice rang out in not just Aerrow's head, but in everyone else's too, causing many to jump out of their skins with fright. "Some of you may even think that defiance is wise" Cyclonis continued to whisper as Aerrow made his way to the centre of the hall a little more. "But this is folly, give me Aerrow, do this and none shall be harmed" She began persuading as Aerrow saw a lot of eyes fall on him. "Give me Aerrow and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched, give me Aerrow and you shall be rewarded" She continued to promise. "You have one hour" She told them as her voice died away and left their minds free of her again. A very tense and nervous silence fell as everyone's eyes fell to Aerrow, who was stood in the centre of the hall near his team and the others.

"What are you waiting for, someone grab him!" A voice suddenly shouted, causing everyone's heads to turn. A student from Slytherin house, with black hair and and expression caught between fear and determination, was stood near the front of the hall pointing at Aerrow. A moment passed as everyone looked from her to him before Starling suddenly walked in front of Aerrow, as if to protect him and was closely followed by the other Storm Hawks, those who'd been in hiding, the other teachers and then all the students from Griffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, who all closed ranks around him.

"Thank you Parkingson, but that sort of action has no place here and never will have" McGonagall said in a loud enough voice so that everyone could hear her as Aerrow made her way over to her.

"I presume you have a reason for coming here Aerrow, what is it you need?" She asked him quietly.

"Time professor, as much of it as possible but, I need to talk to everyone first" He replied. McGonagall nodded and indicated the raised platform. As Aerrow stepped onto it and faced everyone they sensed he was going to tell them all something and turned to listen.  
>"I know you've got a lot of questions but, we haven't got the time so, yes the most wanted people in Atmos are stood in this hall, yes Cyclonis, and yes use her name, she knows where we are now anyway, is coming and yes there's going to be a battle which is going to get bad so, those who don't want to take part or those who have their doubts..." Aerrow addressed the hall as he glanced quickly at Parkingson. "...there's a way out of the castle, a passageway into the village, don't worry about the alarm, Cyclonis will be focused on the castle" He announced as people began to talk to each other no doubt deciding whether to stay or go. McGonagall then joined Aerrow on the platform.<p>

"I must add that any Hogwarts student under age must leave the castle, no exceptions" She announced, noticing the amount of young students in the hall, some of whom seemed disappointed.  
><span>"I also order all Slytherin students out of the castle too, those students who are staying shall be given instructions by members of staff" McGonagall continued to announce as those under age, members of the Slytherin house, who quite a few had death eater parents or supporters, as those not wanting to fight were beginning to be lead out of the hall and to the room of requirement passageway by some of the members of the order. McGonagall turned to Aerrow as this was going on. "Do what you have to do Aerrow, I'll secure the castle" She told him. Aerrow nodded and ran over to his team, who along with Starling has gathered together as the other squadrons and order members went about setting up the defences and people positions.  
>"Aright, we'll use the hall as a base, it'll be out last defence, Ace I need you in here with the other medics, people are going to hurt and need to be prepared, Junko, Stork, help set the defences, Finn, Piper, Starling, help everyone leaving get out of the castle" Aerrow told them as he began mapping out a plan.<br>"What about you?" Starling asked.

"I'm going to go up to Ravenclaw tower, it's as good a place as any to start looking for info on the diadem" He replied.

Outside the hall was full of students all running in the direction of the seventh floor where the room of requirement was. Aerrow began making his way through them as he made his way to Ravenclaw tower where all of the students from that house had their bedrooms and common room.

"Aerrow!" Someone shouted his name as he reached the top of a crowded staircase. Turning round he saw Piper and Finn running up to him.

"Piper and I have been thinking, it doesn't matter if we find the horcruex.." Finn began.  
>"...unless we can destroy it" Piper finished.<p>

"So we were thinking..." Finn began to say.  
>"...well Finn was thinking, it was his idea, completely brilliant..." Piper began to add.<p>

"...we could transport to the chamber of secrets and get a basilisk fang, destroying the cup at the same time" Finn told him.

"But you can't get in, it needs a sorcerer's touch..." Aerrow began but Piper shook her head.  
>"No when you destroyed the basilisk, all the enchantments and guards were destroyed too, that's why the diary appeared, and you said yourself, Cyclonis will be focused on the castle, so she won't notice us" Piper explained in a rapidly. Aerrow thought for a moment, but they didn't have much choice as Griphook had taken Griffindor's sword, leaving them with no way to destroy the remaining horcruexs.<br>"Aright, go but, just be careful" He told them as he watched them nod and run off before he too carried on.


	42. Chapter 42

In the entrance hall Junko and Stork were walking with McGonagall, Seamus and Harrier.

"Let me get this straight, you want us to blow it up?" Stork asked in amazement as he carried a spare blade he'd been given in the absence of owning his own weapon.

"That is correct Stork, I'm sure between the four of you, you could manage it, now away you go" McGonagall replied as they walked out into the entrance courtyard, facing the long viaduct which lead out onto the grounds. As the four men left McGonagall found herself stood next to Molly and another Hogwarts teacher, who was no taller than a Goblin, as many other people positioned themselves around the courtyard.

"You do realise of course we can't hold her off indefinitely" The short teacher told them.  
>"Yes I do, but that doesn't mean we can't delay her, and her name is Cyclonis, as Aerrow said we might as well use her name, she's going to try and kill you either way Flitwick" McGonagall replied as she turned back to face the entrance hall. "Pertotum Lotococome" She spoke was she waved her wand. Inside the entrance hall, the stone statues which were placed in carved arches on the wall and all around the entrance to the great hall suddenly came to life and leapt down before marching out onto the courtyard and out towards the viaduct. Hogwarts is threatened, man the boundaries, protect us and do your duty" McGonagall ordered as the stone soldiers marched past her and Molly as Flitwick watched them march past from where he stood, a little further into the courtyard. "I've always wanted to use that spell" McGonagall said with a smile as Molly watched the incredible magic unfold. Flitwick and many others in the courtyard then lifted their wands towards the sky and began saying the same spells.<p>

"Protego maxima, fianto duri" Was heard all around as people began sending a foggy blue light from their wands which began to form a visible shields over the castle. As the number of people's shields met, they joined together until a singular foggy forcefield covered the entire castle, banishing any Dementors still hovering in the grounds, as is began forming a dome over the castle.

Inside the castle Aerrow had reached the long winding staircase which lead up to Ravenclaw tower. Still forcing his way through a number of students, who were all coming from the opposite direction as they got into position for the battle, he began climbing the stairs.

"Aerrow, Aerrow wait!" A voice called out from a short distance behind him, who he recognised as Starling's. "Aerrow I need to talk to you!" She called as she managed to catch up to him as he carried on up the stairs in his urgency.

"Now is not really the best time" Aerrow replied, still climbing up the stairs.  
>"No listen, Ravenclaw tower is no good but I have an idea" Starling tried to tell him as she followed.<p>

"Later, first I'll just check it out" Aerrow replied as he carried on.  
>"Aerrow listen to me right now!" Starling suddenly came to a halt and shouted, making Aerrow turn around and take full notice of her. "Don't you remember what Cho said about the diadem, there's not a person alive who's seen it, but the answers obvious, we had talk to someone who's dead, and I know just the person" Starling told him as she indicated her hear back down the stairs. Aerrow though for a moment and then nodded as he began to walk back down the stairs, stopping just in front of her where a large window showed them the shield covering the sky around the castle.<br>"Aright" He said, taking her by the hand as they began running down the staircase.

Outside the shield was just reaching the ground as Flitwick watched it reach the floor of the viaduct where the stone soldiers were stood in formation ready for battle as he stood among them.

Back in the castle Aerrow and Starling had run through a number of corridors before they came to a first floor walkway which ran around a courtyard on the floor below, forming a square.

"You'll find her down there" Starling told him as they lingered at one of the doorways at the end of one of the walkways.  
>"Aren't you coming?" Aerrow asked, knowing the ghost knew Starling.<p>

"No, you best go alone, she's very shy" She replied. Aerrow nodded and stepped out onto the corridor, leaving her in the doorway as he walked down the walkway. Rounding a corner as the protective shields in the sky lit up the darkened corridors every so often, Aerrow found himself seeing a ghost of a woman with long brown hair, the same one he'd seen in Cyclonis's vision, floating in a small courtyard on the other side of the walkway.

"Your the grey lady aren't you, the ghost of Ravenclaw tower?" Aerrow inquired as he slowly walked out onto the courtyard to the ghost, who was floating a little off the ground in front of him.

"I do not answer to that name" She said, sounding offended as she momentarily lost her form and changed into a foggy ball of light as she went across the courtyards and into a glassless window which had a staircase running past on the other side.

"Wait, no I'm sorry, it's Helena isn't it, Ravenclaw's daughter" Aerrow said in a bid to stop her leaving, remembering what Starling had told him.

"Are you a friend of Starling's?" Helena inquired as she hid behind the window's middle frame pillar.

"Yes, I'm Aerrow, I don't know if she's mentioned me?" Aerrow asked, knowing in her months at the castle Starling had got to know Helena as well as anyone could get to know a shy ghost of a woman hundreds of years dead.

"She has, she speaks very fondly of you" Helena replied, coming out from behind the pillar a little.  
>"Starling told me that you could help with something" Aerrow inquired, urgent to find the horcruex but knowing he couldn't rush things with Helena.<p>

"You seek my mother's diadem" Helena spoke in a slightly more hostile tone.

"Yes, that's right" Aerrow encouraged.

"Starling is kind, unlike so many of the others, but she was wrong, I can't help you" Helena told him almost angrily as she changed back into a foggy ball of light and went straight through Aerrow, making him feel like he'd just been drenched in ice cold water, as she carried on to the space above the courtyard on the opposite side of the walkway.

"Wait please!" Aerrow called desperately as he ran up to one of the arches in the walkway as Helena regained her form as she floated away in the space above the middle of the courtyard below. "I want to destroy it" He told her, which made stop and face him again.

On a cliff above the castle Cyclonis's and her masses of forces, including Bellatrix, Lucius and the Minister of Magic Pius, were gathered watching the defences go up.

"They never learn, such a pity" Cyclonis chuckled before taking a moment. "Begin" She ordered as he followers all then raised their weapons and began firing spells and blasts at the castle, which began exploding as they hit the protective barrier.


	43. Chapter 43

The sound and lights of the blasts hitting the barrier were making Aerrow even more worried about the lack of time left to find the horcruex. He quickly ran to another part of the walkway so that he could talk to Helena from a closer distance.

"Isn't that you want too Helena?" He inquired, knowing the ghost's hate for it. Aerrow then had to run to another part of the walkway as Helena began slowly floating backwards, perhaps in fear of his ask. "You want it destroyed too" Aerrow persisted.

"Another swore to destroy it many years ago, a strange girl with a destructive name" Helena said quietly as she continued to slowly back off.

"Cyclonis" Aerrow encouraged.

"But she lied" Helena added sadly.

"She's lied to many people" Aerrow told her before jumping back a little as Helena suddenly swooped right up to him.

"I know what she's done, I know who she is, she defiled it with dark magic!" She shouted at him before backing off a little and going through the walkway wall and onto the corridor just around the corner from Aerrow. As Aerrow rounded the corner he saw her floating near the ground with her back to him.  
>"I can destroy it once and for all, but only if you tell me where she hid it, you do know where she hid it don't you, Helena, you just have to tell me, please" Aerrow asked softly as she slowly turned to face him with a sad and tearing face.<p>

"Strange, you remind me of her a little" She told him as she circled him before beginning to back to the corridor.

"It's here, in the castle, in a place where everything is hidden, if you have to ask you will never know, if you know, you need only ask" She told him as she backed away.

"Thank you" Aerrow said, knowing there was only one room in the castle which could provide for someone's ask, as he turned and raced back down the corridor as Helena turned away from him before turning once more into a foggy ball of light and disappearing through a wall.

Starling was stood waiting at the doorway as Aerrow came running up.  
>"What did she say?" She asked, but didn't get an answer as Aerrow took hold of her hand and lead her through the castle at a run.<p>

Up on the bell walkways of the clock tower Sirius was with Lupin and Cho.

"Tell McGonagall that Lupin and I will handle this side of the castle" He told Cho as they walked up to the open archway and saw the amount of bombardment the barrier was taking. "On second thoughts, tell her we may need a few more weapons up here" Sirius added with a smile.

"No need to tell McGonagall, their already here" Cho replied as Arthur and Tonks joined them.

"Remember though, it's the quality of the weapons conviction that determines the success, not the amount of followers" Lupin reminded them.  
>"Who said that?" Sirius inquired.<p>

"Me" Lupin replied with a grin.

One one of the castles highest balconies Fred and George were stood watching the bombardment hitting the forcefield.

"You ok Freddie?" George asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Yeh" Fred replied, sounding just as nervous.

"Me too" George replied as they caught each others eye and grinned.

Far away from the noise and chaos of the castle Piper and Finn had transported to right in front of the chamber of secrets snake engraved door. Piper had been right about the enchantments, they were no longer working, as if the chambers power had been destroyed along with the diary, the door in front of them was wide open and allowed anyone to enter.

"Ready" Finn asked nervously.

"Can't be worse than last time" Piper said with a small nod.

At the castle, the death eaters frustration at the strong barrier had been taken out on the castle's Quiddich pitch. The orange glow created as the wooden structure burnt could be seen as Stork gave the covered bridge, that lead to the grounds, a final check. A strange yelling sound however, made him stop and look towards the grounds. That was when he saw the source of the yells as dozens of snatchers, including those who'd taken the Storm Hawks to Lucius's manor, charged from out of the dense forest and towards the bridge. Even before Stork could turn and run back to Junko, Harrier and Seamus, who were all stood at the other end of the bridge, something very odd and for Stork gratefully occurred. The three snatcher who had been the closest to the bridge had suddenly and quite violently been disintegrated into blue light as they hit the barrier. The other snatchers had stopped in time as they saw this and all stood facing the bridge and Stork wondering what they could do next.

"Yeh, you and who's army!" Stork shouted at them gleefully as he saw them not coming any further.


	44. Chapter 44

In the chamber of secrets Finn was slowly approaching the skeleton of the basilisk, which still laid upside down and half in the water next to the rock face of Slytherin. Crouching down he carefully yanked out on the monsters fangs.

"We best take a few more, remember they dry up" Piper said as she watched, knowing each fang only had a certain amount of venom once out of the snake's mouth. Finn nodded and pulled two more out which were placed in Piper's extended bag as she also pulled out the horcruex cup whilst Finn rejoined her.

"You do it" He told her, holding out the fang he'd held onto.

"I can't.." Piper began with worry.

"Yes you can" Finn encouraged as he gently took the cup from her and handed her the fang before resting the cup on the stone floor and kneeling besides it as Piper knelt down too.

In the castle Aerrow was running with Starling as they battled through the crowds, all heading in different directions, as they made for the seventh floor.

In the chamber Piper gave one Finn one last glance before she raised her arm holding the basilisk fang and then slammed it into the horcruex.

On the hilltop above the castle Cyclonis suddenly gasped as she seemed to struggle for breath whilst at the same time Aerrow reacted in the same way as his scar burnt up and he lent against a stone archway for support as Starling worriedly tried to help him.

In the chamber the cup had not simply cracked or broken but, like the locket, had decided to put up one last fight as it suddenly bounced away from Piper and Finn and towards the water near the rock face. What happened next made them both jump up with fright as the water suddenly rose up and, along with the water at the side of the chamber, it began to form a huge wave right in front of them. Clutching each other as they hurriedly backed away they just managed to avoid the worst of it and were no worse for wear apart from getting absolutely soaked.

On the hilltop Cyclonis, knowing full well what had happened, had recovered from the blow. Aerrow had also recovered as he was able to focus again and seen Starling standing in front of him.

"What happened?" She asked worriedly.

"The cup's been destroyed" He told her as he got his breath back and Starling nodded, more in relief than anything.

In the chamber Piper and Finn were also regaining their breath from the sudden shock as they stood in the quietening chamber. Catching each others eye and in one swift movement they gabbed hold of each other and kissed passionately as the waters of the chamber became still again. As they came away from each other they both stared for a moment before smiling and laughing a little at their equal feelings.

On the hill top Cyclonis was far from laughing as she let out a rage full cry and send a blindingly bright spell from the elder wand to the barrier. The spell slammed into the forcefield as those in the castle watched as holes started appearing. The shield was being torn apart. As Cyclonis pulled out of the spell with a strained gasp from the effort, she looked down at the castle to see her work which had begun to burn up the protective boundary and leave the castle open to attack. A slight cracking noise distracted her as she looked down to see that the elder wand had also felt the strain of the spells power as she could see crack marks beginning to appear in the wood.

As the reminds of the burnt shield floated down over the castle, one fragment floated down right in front of the snatcher who'd lead the Storm Hawks capture. He curiously moved it about with the tip of his wand before smiling a little as Stork's, who was still watching, faded a little. Very caustically the snatcher took one step forward. Then another. No barrier stopped him, it was no longer there. With a battle cry the snatcher began running forward as all the others followed with equal yells. Stork didn't hesitate and wheeled around before sprinting across the bridge as fast as he could whilst Junko, Harrier and Seamus readied their weapons. As the spell and blasts were beginning to fire from the snatchers Stork tried to counter with his blade as he fire over his shoulder. That was when he got lucky as one of his blasts combined with a snatchers spell and collided with a supporting floor beam. The boasted spell severing it's main support beam along with the weight of dozens of people charging over it was too much for the bridge to take. There was a deafening crunch as the bridge broke in half right in-between Stork and the snatchers. As the roof caved in it took the floor and other beams with it and began destroying the rest of it's self from the middle outwards. The snatcher who were one the bridge had run right into the collapse and had gone down with it as Stork ran for his life. Junko, Harrier and Seamus watched in shock as they saw him run towards them.  
>"Stork!" Junko cried out as he saw his friend disappear with the bridge as it's collapse finally lost it's energy. When it had calmed Junko, Harrier and Seamus tentatively began to walk towards the edge of the broken bridge. After a few tense moments they saw a hand appear and dump a dusty blade onto the floor before they saw Stork begin to pull himself up.<p>

"That went well" He muttered as he heaved himself up.


	45. Chapter 45

Now there was nothing to stop Cyclonis's forces from attacking the castle as death eaters, giants, Dementors and even Acromantulas, a terrifying species of man sized spiders, joined the fight against the castle. The stone soldiers began to bravely fight against the forces but were being blasted apart as death eaters sent curses at them as they steamed past in black smoke or they were smashed by the giant's huge clubs. Flitwick was forced to flee back to the castle from where he stood among the soldiers ranks as they were slowly being pushed back. Although they managed to kill one of the giants, the soldiers could only delay as the dark forces grew closer to the castle.

In the entrance courtyard, just in view of the stone soldiers ranks, explosions ripped through the walkways and stonework as the death eaters blasted it apart with spells and blasts. McGonagall stood near the doorway herding people inside as the death eaters moved around in the air as black streams of smoke. Some blasted their way into the clock tower where they met a fierce resistance from Sirius, Lupin, Arthur and Tonks.

Inside the castle some of the students were screaming and fleeing in fear, making it difficult for Aerrow and Starling to get through. More screams sounded and people ducked as a death eater smashed his way into the hallway's stairs. Though he didn't get very far as he'd appeared in front of two very ready Sky Knights. At the same time Aerrow and Starling had risen their weapons and fired. The two shots caught the death eater mid flight, sending him crash landing over their heads and slamming into the floor at the foot of the stairs, out cold. As they reached a landing on the stairs Aerrow and Starling saw Junko and a very battered Stork heading their way.

"Junko, Stork, are you aright!" Aerrow said, having to shout over the panicked noise, more to Stork who had a bloodied cut on the side of his head.

"Never better, I feel like I could spit fire!" Stork called out out excitedly, still revelling in his destruction of the bridge. "I've got an idea, were going to need something big to knock those death eaters out of the sky, right!" He carried on with a grin.  
>"What are you talking about!" Aerrow replied confused on his plan.<p>

"You'll see, we'll be back soon, it's risky but hey we'll probably be dead by dawn anyway!" He shouted, sounding more confident than he'd ever been before, as he and Junko ran off to do something still not clear to Aerrow. Turning to Starling they both seemed to remember the likelihood of surviving till dawn and kissed each other.

"I know" Starling said quietly, knowing what he wanted to tell her as they carried on their run to the seventh floor.

The death eaters weren't the only unwanted visitors to the castle as, now that the defences were down, Draco dissaperated into the castle with two other men his own age and began running through the fleeing crowds.

Aerrow and Starling had finally reached the seventh floor, which was the only empty part of the castle now that those who'd left had gone. As they ran down one corridor however, the relative quietness was shattered as the roof above them began to collapse as a huge exposition hammered into the wall. Covered in dust and pelted with debris they escaped being crushed by inches.

"You ok?" Aerrow checked as they both stopped looked back at the damaged. Starling nodded, although she had a few nasty looking scratches on her face and neck and was covered dust and dirt, she'd escaped relatively unscathed.

"You?" She asked back.  
>"Yeh" Aerrow replied, no worse than she was. Looking back at the destroyed corridor, they knew it could have been much worse as they saw a huge gaping hole in the roof and the wall.<p>

"What caused that?" Starling asked in surprise as they walked over to the hole a little and saw far below the raging battle in the entrance courtyard. They also saw a number of black streams of smoke circling above. "If they carry on much longer the castle will be destroyed" Starling added, knowing the death eaters caused the worryingly big hole they were looking out of. Aerrow was about to reply, telling her there was nothing they could do at the moment, when he heard a sound so familiar at first he'd thought he'd imagined it. Then it sounded again. "Was that a..." Starling began to ask.

"A horn, a ships horn" Aerrow finished, and he knew it wasn't just any horn either. Out of the darkness came two huge twin lights before a large set of twin engines were visible as a ship came charging towards the castle. "It's the Condor!" Aerrow almost shouted in joy as he watched his squadrons ship, know doubt recovered and flown by Stork and Junko, join the battle and begin to knock any threat to her allies out of the sky.

"Aerrow the horcruex" Starling remained him as they both torn themselves away from watching the ship and headed over the rubble and started looking for the wall that they knew concealed a secret.


	46. Chapter 46

Piper and Finn were also back in the castle as they walked down an eerily quiet and unscathed corridor, looking for anyone to tell them what had happened in their absence, as the castle had been protected when they'd left.

"Where is everyone!" Piper called out in frustration as the roof above them shook and dust sprinkled down.

"I don't know, maybe we shout try the hall, Ace should be there" Finn replied as they rounded a corner. They did so at exactly the same moment as Aerrow and Starling rounded the opposite corner, making them all jump and gasp at each others sudden appearance.

"Aerrow, Starling, what are you doing up here?" Piper asked, having expected them to be in the main fight.

"Were looking for the room of requirement, that's were the horcruex is" Aerrow explained.

"What happened to you two?" Starling asked as Piper and Finn were still wet from the tidal wave.  
>"Cup put up a fight, but we got it though, used a basilisk fang" Finn replied as Piper pulled out the the two additional fangs from her bag.<p>

"And we've got spares" She added.

Soon the four of them had reached the wall were the door was hidden.

"How does this room work?" Aerrow asked Starling, who'd opened the room before.  
>"Just think what you need from the room and it'll appear" She replied. Aerrow thought to what Helena had told him.<p>

_I need a room where everything it hidden _He though desperately. No sooner had he thought it that a set of large twin doors appeared from out the stone. Taking a moment to take in the amazement of it's workings they all caustically stepped inside. They weren't however, alone in seeing the door appear as, hidden from view by an archway, Draco and his two companions had watched them enter and decided to follow.

The inside of the room had now completely changed from the refuge of those hiding which the Storm Hawks had first seen. Now it was a tall and seemingly endless hall filled with all manner of lost, discarded and hidden objects all long forgotten or abandoned by their owners. Despite the size of the room objects ranging from book to large stone statues had been piled into impossibly high mounds. Walking past dozens, if not hundreds of shelves Aerrow, Starling, Piper and Finn, looked utterly bewildered on where to start. Then Aerrow heard it. The unmistakable grinding and almost whispering sound of a horcruex. Following the sound Aerrow, followed by the others who knew he'd picked something up, came to a small table littered with objects which he brushed aside until he had a small wooden box in front of him. Slowly lifting the lid, as the others stood around, Aerrow let out a relieved sigh as in front of them was a small silver tiara, resting on a mound of velvet, with a large blue stone in the middle underneath a eagle, Ravenclaw's symbol. They had found the lost diadem of Ravenclaw. Their relief however, didn't last long as just as Aerrow was about to pick it up a smug but slightly shaky voice cut in.

"Well well, what brings you squadron lot here?" Draco asked as he stand either side of his two companions, all with wands pointed at them.

"I could ask you them same thing?" Aerrow asked back, stepping away from the horcruex as they all tightened their grip on their weapons.

"You have something of mine" Draco said.

"Yeh your wand" Aerrow replied, remembering he'd taken it at the skirmish at Lucius's mansion.

"I want it back" Draco ordered.

"What's wrong with the one you've got" Aerrow inquired, trying to keep the situation calm until he could secure the horcruex.

"It's my mothers, it's powerful but it's not the same, doesn't quite understand me, so I'd like mine back" Draco ordered again.

"Sorry, I got rid of it, you what it's like, you prefer your own" Aerrow replied with a relaxed shrug as he indicated one his blades he was holding. "Though you didn't really put up a big fight over it, you had plenty of chances to stop us when we laid down our weapons but you just stood there, like you did with Dumbledore" Aerrow continued to inquire, having the feeling the Draco was not as loyal to Cyclonis as his family made out to be. One of Draco's companions, a well built but short man, leaned in a little.  
>"Come on Draco, don't be a coward, kill em" He whispered as Draco began to look uncertain. Knowing they didn't have the time for this delay Aerrow slowly lifted his blade up as to attack. Though this was a ploy because as Draco and his companions followed him, Piper, Finn and Starling already had their weapons up. Piper fired first, knocking Draco's borrowed wand from his hand. The man who'd told him to kill them quickly countered with a thankfully off aim killing curse as a few shots began to fire. One however, struck the box which contained the horcruex and sent it flying through the air and landed on a pile of objects near them. Taking advantage of the distraction the more aggressive one of Draco's companions had fired another killing curse which missed Piper by inches as the three of them made their escape. Then surprisingly Finn gave chase.<br>"That's my girlfriend you idiot!" He shouted as he ran after them. Piper and Starling stood watching in surprising but were quickly distracted as Aerrow began rummaging and climbing the pile of objects the horcruex had gone into. Climbing up to where he was they helped him move a upturned sofa as he dug his arm through the gap.  
>"Got it" He said as pulled out the small tiara. Jumping down they looked in the direction Finn had run of to and were just about to go and find him when they heard bangs and yells. Seconds later Finn came running back at them yelling his head of and looking terrified as they saw an odd orange glow behind him.<p>

"They've set the bloody place of fire!" He screamed as he pulled Piper along with him as he ran leaving Aerrow and Starling to look back at where he'd run from for a second. That's when they saw a fire, and not just a fire, it was bigger, hotter and more destructive than any normal blaze, hurtle round the corner and head straight for them.


	47. Chapter 47

As they all ran through the room, behind them became an inferno as somehow the flames seemed to follow them. Over his shoulder Aerrow summoned the piles of objects to fall in front of the fire but it seemed no good as the supercharged blaze continued to tear after them.

One the other side of the room Draco and his two companions were also trapped by the flames as the man who'd almost killed Piper was trying to stop his wand from blasting out the flames as Draco and the other man began climbing the piles of objects.

Aerrow, Starling, Piper and Finn were running in all directions but kept finding their path blocked by fire. Trapped in one corner one blast nearly got them if not for Aerrow just being able to deflected it with a Protego spell. Finn had tripped over something at the sight of the blast, but it was something metal. Looking up his heart leapt as he saw not one but two old and worn, but perfectly working skimmers parked fight behind them. Soon, with Aerrow and Starling on one and Finn and Piper on the other, they were up in the air and away from the flames. Draco and his companions weren't faring so well as they could only climb away from the rising flames. The man who's caused the inferno was a short distance down from Draco and the other man and was rushing in his panic. That was his mistake as he grabbed hold of a loose chair which quickly gave way and sent him disappearing into the flames below, making Draco and the other man even more panicked and scared.

Flying on the skimmer's the Storm Hawks and Starling were nearing the door.

"Come on this way!" Finn shouted over the roar of the flames, turning his ride towards the exit as Piper held on for dear life. But Aerrow was looking over his shoulder and past Starling to where he could see the two remaining men on top of the pile, struggling for balance as they slipped on loose objects as the fire weakened the pile.

"We can't just leave them!" Aerrow shouted back as he made his choice and circled his ride around and headed for the men with Finn and Piper reluctantly following.

As Draco and the other man held on they saw the two skimmers approaching they held out an arm in desperation. With Aerrow and Finn piloting, Starling and Piper both leaned over the skimmer and took hold of the men's arms, pulling them onto the skimmers top wings. Circling back around for the door again was harder with the shifting weight on the skimmers wings as the rides began to struggle under the intense heat of the room.

"If we die for them Aerrow I'm going to kill you!" Finn shouted, glaring at Draco who was clinging on to Aerrow's skimmer's top wing as they raced for the door.

Reaching it as a blast sent them all tumbling from their rides and rolling on the stone floor outside Draco and his companion didn't waste any time and ran as quickly from the room as they could. The Storm Hawks and Starling didn't care as they saw the tiara horcruex on the dusty floor just in front of the still burning room.

"Aerrow!" Piper called, throwing him a basilisk's fang from her bag. Catching it Aerrow didn't hesitate in slamming it into the horcruex but was buffeted away as a cloud of black smoke burst from it in it's dying moments before Starling then kicked it into the burning room of requirement which engulfed and destroyed what remained of it.

On the hilltop Cyclonis was once again feeling the destruction of one of her horcruexs as her pet snake Nagini was coiled up at her feet. Aerrow too was feeling what she was as he sat against a stone archway as the others were also sat on the floor catching their breaths and watching him in concern.

Cyclonis had recovered a little as was beginning to walk away from the edge of the hill and past the ranks of her death eaters with Nagini following closely.

"My master..." Pius, the Minister for Magic began. That was as far as he got as Cyclonis, irritated at the interruption silenced him with a killing curse.

"Come Nagini, I need to keep you safe" She whispered before dissaperating herself and Nagini away from the hilltop.

Aerrow had also recovered as the others watched with worry.

"The snake, she's the last one and she's with her" He told them as they all looked at each other.

"Where is she though?" Piper asked.

"I don't know..." Aerrow began but them remember something. "There's one way I can find out" He told them.

"No, no you can't" Starling insisted, knowing what he was planning and wasn't happy about it, neither was Piper and Finn who'd worked out he'd meant going into Cyclonis's mind again.  
>"There's no other way, we have to end this now" Aerrow insisted in voice telling them there was no room for argument.<p>

"Just be careful, you know what she's like" Starling urged, having seen Cyclonis's mind invasions at their worst, as she knelt down besides him. Aerrow nodded reassuringly before closing his eyes and opening the connection.


	48. Chapter 48

After a few moments Aerrow saw a small building which seemed to be on the banks of the lake next to the castle as it had a narrow canal of water running into it. Small rowing boats were stacked up against the walls as one bobbed in the water. Nagini was curled up on the stone floor next to the water, almost in a striking position as Lucius, looking more pale and defeated than ever stood facing the back of Cyclonis.

"My master, might it not be more beneficial to call off this attack and simply seek the boy yourself" Lucius asked hopefully but also cautiously as he watched Cyclonis standing at the large archway at a view of the castle and raging battle.

"I will not need to seek the boy, before the night is out he will come to me, do you understand!" Cyclonis began to shout as she turned and walked up to Lucius before slapping him across the face.  
>"Look at me" She hissed, noting Lucius would not look at her in the eye. "How can you live with yourself Lucius" She sneered as she looked at the crushed and flinching man.<p>

"I don't know" Lucius mumbled. Cyclonis then seemed to grow board of him.

"Find Severus and bring him to me" She ordered. That was when Aerrow felt himself jerk back and found himself back in the damaged corridor with Starling, Piper and Finn.

"I know where she is" He told them as he caught is breath back.

All over the castle the battle was getting more and more destructive and deadly as death eaters flew all around the castle as black streams of smoke blasting through rooftops and towers. Hovering around the entrance courtyard the Condor was being overwhelmed and was beginning to billow out smoke and was losing power as it was hammered by numerous blasts. As it lost the last of it's power, inside Stork and Junko had abandoned the smoke filled bridge and raced to the hanger ready to get off the falling ship. The Condor sliced through the corridor wall that ran around the courtyard as it crashed to the ground and came to rest at an angle on a pile of rubble in the corner of the courtyard, causing anyone nearby to flee from it as the fierce fighting continued. Navigating their way through the twisted metal and gaping holes of the ships body work Stork and Junko scrambled out and into the courtyard now filled with not just squadrons, students and death eaters but also giants and Acromantulas all fighting to the death.

Inside the castle Aerrow, Starling, Finn and Piper were racing down the broken and crumbled stairs which lead to the entrance hall. As they ran they were also sending blasts and shots at a number of death eaters and snatchers, either knowing them out or making them flee in black streams of smoke.

Then the air exploded with fire and stone as a deafening boom sounded with such violence and suddenness it caught everyone on the staircase completely off guard. Aerrow felt himself flying through the air, only able to ensure he held onto the thin strip of metal that was his blade's handle, and shield his head in his arms as he slammed and rolled down the stone stairs. All around he could hear the screams and yells of those also caught up in the chaos. Then the world resolved itself into pain and semi-darkness and Aerrow found himself half buried in the rubble that had once been the celling and the walls of the staircase. Cold air was blasting his face, telling him that the wall had been blown open from the outside. Sitting up with a painful grunt as his body screamed in protest as it ached from the impact, he felt a hot stickiness and stinging on his cheek and around his eye telling him he was badly bruised and bleeding there. Stumbling and swaying he got to his feet and saw Starling also unsteadily getting to her feet, looking just as shaken and battered as he did.

"Starling, are you..." He tried to say as he half ran, half stumbled over to her.

"Yeh, I, what happened?" She asked, sounding terrified as she held onto him for support. Aerrow could give an answer as he looked around at the still chaos. A terrible cry suddenly rang out from behind them, a cry filled that expressed such worry and fright of a kind no flame or blast could cause. Looking back Aerrow and Starling saw Piper knelt huddling over a figure in a horrid distress.

"Finn, please Finn!" She was screaming, which turned Aerrow's blood cold as he realised who she was huddled over.

"Piper, Finn!" He screamed as he ran over to his team mates with Starling following closely behind. Reaching them Aerrow knelt besides Piper and besides a very still Finn.

"Come on Finn" He whispered to himself as he checked his pulse and breathed out in relief as he found a very faint beat and saw Finn's chest rising and falling slightly, showing he was still breathing. "He's alive, ok, we have to move him, get him the hall, Ace can look at him" Aerrow said, trying to keep his own breathing under control as besides him Piper was still panicking.

"What's wrong with him, why won't he wake" She said between sobs, still not moving as Aerrow and Starling readied themselves to pick Finn up between them.

"Piper, Piper, look at me!" Aerrow had to raise his voice a little as he went back over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder as she turned to face him, tear tracks streaking the grime on her face. "He'll be ok, but we have to get him help, and I'm going to stop her, I promise, this ends tonight, but you have to hold on for a little longer" He told her as firmly as his shaken voice could. Piper took a moment before taking a breath and nodding, wiping her face with her torn and singed sleeve before helping carry Finn towards the hall.


	49. Chapter 49

The hall itself seemed to be the last line of the defence as the half closest to the doors looked as damaged and destroyed as the rest of the castle whilst the other half was crammed with those injured, lying on makeshift beds as people rushed about as they helped treat them. Struggling with Finn's weight as they navigated through the rubble and people, Aerrow began looking for Ace or at least another medic that could help. Then there, in the corner of the hall, he saw Ace along with Junko and Stork.

"Aerrow, what happened?" Ace asked as he noticed them carrying Finn over.  
>"A blast, I think he's knocked out" Aerrow replied as he, Starling and Piper as gently they could laid him on a spare bed.<p>

"He'll be ok won't he?" Piper asked, still sounding a little shaken. Ace nodded as he checked over him, as the other Storm Hawks and Starling all gathered round.

"What about the horcruexs?" Junko asked, making Aerrow suddenly remember about them, having forgotten in the panic over Finn.

"The cup and diadem have been destroyed, and I know where the snake is, it's with her in the boat house" He told them, having recognised the building from the vision, before glancing at Finn, who thankfully seemed to begin coming round. "I'm going there now" He told them. As he expected the others looked round at him with surprise.

"Your not going on your own" Starling told him, sounding determined.

"She won't stay there for long, it might be our only chance" Aerrow replied.

"It's best if we have to plan, work out how were going to do this" Ace tried to reason with him.  
>"We haven't got the time, people can't keep fighting much longer" Aerrow stressed, indicating Finn in order to make his point.<p>

"Your still not going alone, I'm coming too" Starling began. "No listen, I am coming no arguments, I've faced her with you before and I'm doing it again" She told him as he was about to argue, in a tone that ended any possible disagreement.

"You best take this then" Piper said quietly, making Aerrow and Starling look from each other to see her holding out the invisibility cloak. "And be careful" She added as Aerrow nodded and took the cloak, causing Starling to look a little confused at the clock as she didn't know it's unique and useful quality.

Despite the relative peace of the hall, outside and all around the rest of the castle, the battle was still raging fiercely. Aerrow ans Starling found it nearly impossible as they tried to navigate through the destroyed courtyard, now full of flames, noise and blasts. Giants towered over them, blocking the paths through the rubble, forcing them to run in-between their legs before having to change direction again as Acromantulas scuttled over the rubble piles, hungry for meat. Reaching the half standing corridor next to the courtyard which lead to the boat house, they were blocked by two figures, one hunched over the other who turned to face them. It was Greyback and sickeningly he had been eating the flesh of the other persons neck.

"No!" Starling cried out as she sent a powerful blast at the werewolf, which sent him flying through a glassless window and down a long way to the banks of lake far below. Running up to the person on the ground Aerrow cursed in frustration. It was Harrier lying in front of them, too still to be alive as he lay with his unseeing eyes facing away from them. Gently Starling tugged on Aerrow's arm and gave him a saddened look to tell him there was nothing they could do. Without an exchange of any words they reluctantly ran past the Sky Knights body and towards the boathouse. Getting to the long viaduct they were halted again as they saw dozens of Dementors racing towards them. Aerrow automatically produced his patronus but the hawk was struggling against the amount of the creatures and was beginning to fade as it lost energy. It would have disappeared all together of not for a sudden blast of another patronus which sent a tidal wave of energy to aid Aerrow's hawk, deflecting the Dementors away. Aerrow and Starling turned in shock to see none other than Abaforth standing just behind them with his wand still held up. With a quick nod as thanks Aerrow and Starling carried on running as Abaforth then joined in at the main battle.

Coming out of the corridor Aerrow and Starling reached an outside stone staircase which zigzagged all the way down to the lit and unscathed boathouse.

Inside the boathouse Severus was stood in front of the large glass window on the back wall of the boathouse as Cyclonis stood on one of the paths either side of the water.

"You have performed extraordinary magic with that wand my master, in the last few hours alone" He told her as she walked a little over to him.

"No, no, I am extraordinary but the wand resists me" She told him, almost sounding worried as outside Aerrow and Starling had reached the foot of the stairs a short distance away from the building. Before they went any further Aerrow pulled out the invisibility clock, from where he'd been keeping it safe underneath his shirt and, having explained what it did to Starling on their way down, threw it over the both of them, instantly making them vanish from sight. Creeping over to just besides the window, they were so close that Cyclonis's and Severus's voices could be heard as they saw their blurred figures standing on the other side of the frosted glass.

"There is no wand more powerful, Olivander said so himself" Severus was heard to say as inside the boat house Nagini began to slither towards her master. "Tonight, when the boy comes it will not fail you, it answers to you and you only" Severus added reassuringly as Cyclonis stood right in front of him.

"Does it?" Cyclonis inquired softly.

"Master?" Severus asked, slightly confused.

"The wand does it truly answer to me?" Cyclonis asked as she began circling him as outside Aerrow and Starling continued to watch, crouching under the cloak. "Your a clever man Severus, surely you must know, where does it's true loyalty lie?" She continued to asked as she carried on circling him.  
>"With you, of course my master" Severus reassured again as Cyclonis walked a little away from him.<p>

"The elder wand cannot serve me properly because, I am not it's true master, the elder wand belongs to the sorcerer who killed it's last owner" She told him as she walked back over a little. "You killed Dumbledore, Severus" She said, almost in a whisper as Severus seemed to realise what this meant. "While you live, the elder wand cannot truly be mine, you've been a good and faithful servant Severus, but only I can live forever" She told him softly and almost regrettably.

"My master..." Severus began to beg or protest but didn't get far as Cyclonis slashed her wand through the air. The effect of the spell became know as Severus immediately clutched the side of his neck, where blood was beginning to pour out of a large slash that had appeared, as he fell against the window, rattling it and making Aerrow and Starling jump back slightly as they watched him slide down and come to rest slumped up against the bottom of the window.

"Nagini, kill" Cyclonis whispered to her snake as Severus lay gasping weakly from the blood loss. Nagini, who'd been coiled up like a spring, was ready and lashed out at the man, ready to obey her master.


	50. Chapter 50

Outside Starling turned and buried her head in Aerrow's chest as the sickening thuds of the window sounded each time the snack struck the man against it. Aerrow too looked away as he held Starling in comfort as the glass panes of the window were splattered in blood. When it stopped they risked a glance through the window just in time to see Cyclonis, followed by Nagini, walk away from Severus's a little before dissaperating away. After a few seconds, and making sure she'd really gone, Aerrow took the clock of him and Starling and slowly headed towards the door on the other side of the window.

As they entered they saw Severus, still alive although only barely, slumped up against the window. As Starling lingered by the door Aerrow knelt besides the man and, not knowing what else he could do, pressed his hands against the large bleeding wound on the man's neck. Even though the man in front of him had betrayed and killed Dumbledore Aerrow could help feel sympathetic as he saw a tear run down Severus's cheek. Strangely the man then used the remains of his strength to lift up a hand and point at the tear.  
>"Take them, take them please" He whispered, almost too quietly to hear as he begged. That was when Aerrow realised the tears were memories, which sorcerers could take from their minds and place in a special bowl to revisit at will. Having to take his hands off the wound Aerrow took hold of one of his blades, which along with small bottles could be used to transport the memories, and placed the tip near the tear, which turned into a glowing white thread and travelled into Aerrow's blade. "Take them to the Pensive" Severus whispered as Aerrow looked back at him. "You have your mothers eyes" Severus managed to say a a little louder before he gave a last grunt and laid still, leaving Aerrow surprisingly saddened and if not a bit confused over the man's last words as he stood up and walked back to Starling.<p>

That was when the world drew cold and dark again as Aerrow drew dizzy and lent against the wall slightly, noticing Starling was clutching her head slightly.

"You have fought valiantly" Cyclonis's voice rang out in theirs, and no doubt everyone else's all over the castle, including all the death eaters and snatchers. "But in vain, I do not wish this bloodshed, it is a terrible waste, I therefore command my forces to retreat" Cyclonis ordered as across the castle everyone had stopped fighting to listen. "In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity, I now speak directly to the Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks, I now speak to you Aerrow, on this night you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself" Cyclonis seemed to taunt as Aerrow looked out of the open door at the damaged and burning castle with anger and disgust at her words. "There is no greater dishonour, join me in the forest and confront your fate, if you do not do this I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me, you have one final hour to do so" Cyclonis threatened before her voice faded away.

Walking through the empty and eerily calm half destroyed courtyard it seemed Cyclonis had done as promised and retreated her forces.

"Where is everybody?" Starling asked nervously, seeing the courtyard also empty of anyone they knew either.  
>"They'll be in the hall" Aerrow replied quietly as they paused and looked at the ruined and broken Condor, still sat were it had fallen on a pile of rubble, looking destroyed and defeated.<p>

Pushing the large doors open they found nearly everyone sat huddled in silence around the hall as some moved about as they treated the injured. Walking down to the other end of the hall, where the rest of the Storm Hawks were, was painful and gut wrenching as Aerrow saw students, younger than he was, bruised and battered, huddled in small groups. He also saw Seamus, who gave him a small nod and tired smile as he was being treated for a horrible and painful looking blast burn on his upper arm, which had been so powerful it had burnt through is jacket and top. Then at the end of the hall the sights got worse as he saw Molly and her family all huddled around a body sobbing and comforting each other as he recognised the body of Fred lying on the middle of them. Lupin and Tonks were among the dead too as the lay on stretchers next to each other, their still hands with their wedding rings visible nearly touching. Harrier was lying nearby too with his devastated squadron sat or stood around him. Aerrow could hardly bear it anymore as he saw the rest of his team, with Finn awake but still lying on a bed looking terrible, a short distance away all looking worn, beaten and exhausted, even Ace who'd not actually fought was covered in dust, grime and other people's blood from treating them. They spotted Aerrow and Starling as Starling began walking over to them. She quickly stopped and turned back to see Aerrow had not moved and began to walk back when he glanced at her in the eye and, without a word, turned on his heel and left the hall, leaving her to watch him go with worry.


	51. Chapter 51

Aerrow had gone to the one place that made sense at the moment. Dumbledore's office. Walking into the silent room, absent of the small moving silver objects and Fawkes the phoenix, it felt strangely wrong to be here. As he reached the middle of the room the folding doors against the wall besides him which concealed the Pensive, which allowed people to view memories, opened to reveal the silvery bowl on top of the stone basin. Taking out a blade Aerrow held the tip over it and released Severus's memory into the bowl, which started to glow. Taking a breath as he brushed his blade over the shimmering water and lent toward the surface he felt himself enter the memories.

He found himself on a grassy hill with a large dead but strong looking tree on it which was surrounded by the countryside of a Terra his didn't recognise and, although he could not feel anything, he could tell is was a warm and pleasant summers day from the clear blue sky and amount of flowers growing in the grass. That was when he saw a young girl, no older than ten or eleven, with bright ginger hair and emerald eyes, sitting near him on the grass. As he neared Aerrow saw she was holding a small flower head in her hand and seemed to be concentrating on it. That was when he saw it open and then close before opening again, and he realised that she must be a sorcerer who had unlocked her powers, but had not received a wand as she, like he'd done, affected things around her without the need of touch.  
>"Your like me" A boy's voice suddenly sounded, making Aerrow and the girl both look to one side and see a boy, no older than the girl, with black hair in a small gap in the tree's hollowing trunk.<p>

"Have you been watching me?" The girl asked, sounding annoyed as she stood up, looking past Aerrow and at the boy.

"Only a little, I'm Severus and, your like me right?" The boy, who Aerrow was shocked to find as a child version of Severus, asked as he indicated the flower head the girl was still holding.

"I'm a sorcerer if that's what you mean, I'm Lily by the way" She replied as Aerrow looked at her in amazement and seeing his mother as a child.

Then the scene changed to the great hall at Hogwarts, where Aerrow saw his mother being sorted into Griffindor house and smiling as she passed Severus, who was stood with the other new students waiting to be sorted by McGonagall, on her way to the Griffindor table. Aerrow then saw Severus being sorted into Slytherin and then, recognising her from the other memories he'd seen, he watched an eleven year old Cyclonis also being sorted into Slytherin.

The scene changed again as Lily and Severus, now looking around fourteen or fifteen, walking down a Hogwarts corridor towards him looking as if they were having an argument.

"I don't know why your nice to her" Severus snapped as Lily, who was walking a little further ahead trying to ignore him.

"Despite what people say, I know there's good in her" Lily snapped back.

"But those followers of hers, they already have a name you know, death eaters, doesn't sound very good does it" Severus retaliated, making Lily stop and face him with a glare on her face as they stood right in front of Aerrow.

"Cyclonis is my friend Severus, I trust her" She replied as the memory changed again to show Lily and gut wrenchingly Lance, Aerrow's father, talking and laughing as they walked in a park covered in autumn leaves, even kissing and sharing a brief dance as they laughed even more. The memory faded again as Aerrow head a hushed voice, the same one he'd heard reciting the prophecy at the Ministry of Magic the year before last, recite it again as an image of Cyclonis just after her resurrection appeared.

Then Aerrow saw Severus, as he had looked to him, falling to his knees as a bright and blowing spell seemed to stop him.

"No, please don't kill me" He begged as the spell faded as Aerrow saw Dumbledore standing there with Hogwarts visible in the night sky in the valley below the hilltop they we all stood on.

"The prophecy did not refer to a woman, it spoke of a boy born to someone considered her equal" Dumbledore told him firmly.

"Yes but she thinks it's her son, she intends to hunt them down and kill them, hid her, hid them all, I beg you" Severus begged as he knelt in front of Dumbledore.

"What will you give me in exchange Severus?" Dumbledore asked as he walked over to him. Severus considered for a moment before looking Dumbledore directly in the eye.

"Anything" He replied.

The memory changed again to what looked like a small house, where at the end of a narrow hallway, which seemed damaged with blast marks, was a small child's bedroom. Lily was knelt in the corner of the room clutching and comforting a terrified child, who looked no older the six, who Aerrow recognised as himself.  
>"Aerrow you are so loved, I love you and so does your father and your uncle, Aerrow be safe, be strong and always try to do the right thing no matter how hard it seems" Lily whispered quietly as she cradled her son. The watching Aerrow then heard the creaking of a floorboard behind him and with horror, he knew who it was as he watched Lily look up determinedly at Cyclonis, who was stood watching the scene with seeming curiosity as Lily placed Aerrow behind her and stood up.<p>

"You shouldn't be here Cyclonis" She said firmly.

"Oh, but you know why I'm here Lily" Cyclonis replied, for once not enjoying her triumph.

"No, I won't allow you, your not coming near him" Lily told her.

"If it was anyone else..." Cyclonis began, almost sounding remorseful.

"Don't pretend you care, you would do it anyway regardless of who it was, you've changed for the worst since school" Lily cut in as she continuously ensured that the six year old Aerrow was behind her.

"Your Sky Knight husband has been feeding you lies" Cyclonis replied, sounding like her usual sneering shelf.

"My husband does some good in Atmos, unlike you and your followers who are poisoning the world" Lily retaliated back bravely as Cyclonis grew more angered and impatient as she drew out her wand and pointed at her.  
>"Seeing as we were friends I will give you a chance Lily, move" She ordered. Lily shook her head .<p>

"No, never" She replied.  
>"Move aside now!" Cyclonis began to shout. Lily continued to refused as she shielded her son. Aerrow had to turn away as Cyclonis sent a killing curse at her, before the room faded away and he saw an image of Petigrew and then he arrived in Dumbledore's office, once again filled with silver instruments and Fawkes on his perch.<p>

"You said you would keep her safe" Severus said, who was stood looking distressed as Dumbledore stood in front of him.  
>"I did not anticipate Petigrew's betrayal to the order" Dumbledore replied quietly before walking over to him.<p>

"The boy survives, his father also as he was not in the house" Dumbledore said in a manner of comforting.

"The boy doesn't need protecting, the dark master is gone" Severus said with a few sobs.

"She will return, and when she does he will be in terrible danger, even with his father's care it may not be enough" Dumbledore told him. "He has her eyes" He added, which seemed to persuade Severus.

"What do you suggest?" Severus asked.

"If our paths meet, we shall assist as much as possible" Dumbledore replied.

The memories then each only lasted for a few moments as they jumped through different scenes of Aerrow during the Tri-Sky Knight tournament as Severus spoke.  
>"Very much like his father, a born Sky Knight, brave, loyal, always tried to do the right thing regardless of the hardship" He said as Aerrow then saw Dumbledore attempting to put of the horcruex ring which then seemed to glow and burn him. Then it changed to Severus's examining the blackened hand Dumbledore had had before he had died. "I have managed to halt the curse for now, but it is not permanent and it will spread" Severus told him.<p>

"How long?" Dumbledore asked.

"Maybe six months" Severus replied before standing up and beginning to leave.

"Don't ignore me Severus, we both know Master Cyclonis has ordered Lucius's boy to murder me" Dumbledore said as Aerrow saw images of Draco. "But should he fail, I presume the dark master will turn to you, you must be the one to kill me Severus, it is the only way" Dumbledore continued as Aerrow saw himself on the astronomy tower the night Dumbledore died as Severus told him to stay out if sight as he went up. "Only then will the dark master trust you completely" Dumbledore added as Aerrow saw the office again.

"I have invited the Storm Hawks back to the castle in preparation for the mission but, there will come a time when Aerrow must be told something, but you must wait until Cyclonis is at her weakest and most vulnerable" Dumbledore told Severus, who was stood in the middle of the office.

"Must be told what?" He asked as Dumbledore sat down at his desk as he delivered the news.

"On the night Master Cyclonis went to Griffindor's Hollow to kill Aerrow, and Lily cast herself between them, the curse rebounded, when that happened it crippled Cyclonis and forced her from the house, but it also broke a fragment of her soul from her, which latched itself onto the only remaining living thing left there, Aerrow himself, that is the reason why he can look into Master Cyclonis's mind, a part of Cyclonis lives inside of him and when she took his blood in her rebirth it caused it to awake" Dumbledore explained as Severus realised what it meant.

"So when the time comes, the boy must die?" He questioned.

"Yes, he must die" Dumbledore replied quietly.

"He's been kept alive so he can die at the proper moment" Severus said in disbelief.

"He kept himself alive, as you know Aerrow is more than capable of pulling through the worst situations relatively unscathed, his father's luck I believe" Dumbledore said, not sounding happy about it either.

"Did his father know, does his uncle?" Severus asked, sounding disgusted at Dumbledore's plan.  
>"Of course not, don't tell me you've grown to care for the boy now?" Dumbledore asked as Severus's face seemed to sadden.<p>

"You think it is for him" Severus replied as he sent out his patronus. It was a doe and Dumbledore seemed surprised by this as Aerrow remembered the doe patronus that had lead him Griffindor's sword on Terra Dean, realising it had been Severus all along.

"Lily, all this time" Dumbledore said quietly.

"Always" Severus whispered quietly. "So when the time comes, the boy must die?" He said again.

"Yes, and Cyclonis's herself must do it, that is essential" Dumbledore told him as the memories faded as Aerrow found himself back in the dark and empty version of Dumbledore's office. Suddenly feeling short of breath and weak at the knees he stumbled back and sank onto on of the stairs leading to Dumbledore's desk as he went over what he'd just heard. He knew what he had to do.


	52. Chapter 52

Walking through the silent castle Aerrow had never felt so isolated and alone. He'd never felt more alive, aware of every movement his body made as he walked. He could feel the rim of his boots slightly pinching the back of his legs, telling him they were getting to small. He felt the stinging and tightness of of his skin around the large cut underneath his eye which had begun to heal. Mostly however, he felt his heart beating madly as his mind ran over the same thoughts. He had to die. All those times he'd thought it had been about to happen, only to escape unscathed. But there would be no escape this time. Dumbledore's betrayal had been nothing, just part of a bigger plan, which the Storm Hawks had been drawn into in order to finish it off. Dumbledore of course, had know Aerrow would not duck out and would keep going until the end, even thought it was his end, because he had ensured he'd got to know him. Like Cyclonis, Dumbledore had known Aerrow wouldn't allow anyone else to die when he could stop it, and although the snake remained, it seemed the the mission would indeed end tonight.

Reaching partially destroyed staircase covered in rubble and holes Aerrow began climbing down, and then froze. Piper and a worn but recovered Finn were sat together at the foot of the stairs. Aerrow watched them for a few moments, having not wanted to say any goodbyes or explanations, he briefly considered turning back and taking a different route, but Cyclonis's hour was nearly up and he didn't have the time. Taking a deep breath he began walking down the stairs towards them.

"Aerrow, where've been?" Piper asked as they saw him and stood up.

"Snape left some memories" He replied, trying to sound casual.

"Anything interesting" Finn asked.  
>"No, nothing we can use, how you feeling?" Aerrow asked, diverting the subject.<p>

"Fine, just a bit of a sore head, everyone's gathered in the hall for the plan, you coming?" Finn asked.

"Yeh, I'll be there in a minute, you go ahead, I just wanna check something first" Aerrow lied as he walked past them and began to walk away.

"Wait, Aerrow, where are you going?" Piper asked in surprise, confused at where Aerrow would need to check out. Aerrow turned to face them again, trying to come up with something, but something about his face must have given it away as Piper and Finn suddenly looked shocked and upset. "You can't, it's mad Aerrow, how can even consider going?" Piper asked him, sound hurt and upset. Aerrow though of saying something but instead chose to turn his back on them and begin to walk away again.

"You can't give yourself up to her" Finn added as he and Piper walked towards him a little as Aerrow stopped again but kept his back to them.  
>"Aerrow what happened, what do you know?" Piper asked gently as Aerrow turned to face them again.<p>

"There's a reason why I can see into her mind, and hear the horcruexs" Aerrow told them as steadily as he could.

"Is this about the stupid prophecy?" Finn asked, trying to convince him not to go.

"No, no it's something much deeper than that, and I to go" He told them as took a few deep breaths. Piper's face suddenly crumpled.

"I'll go with you" She sobbed.

"No, kill the snake, kill the snake and then it's just her" Aerrow insisted as Piper's sobs grew worse as Finn looked frozen with shock.

"What about the others, what do we tell them?" He managed to asked, sounding just as upset as Piper.

"Nothing, please don't..." Aerrow tried to say but found the words becoming stuck in his throat. "...just thank you for, everything and I, tell the others too" He managed to said as his voice broke off. Piper then stepped forward and hugged Aerrow firmly, knowing she couldn't say anything to change his mind. After a few moments she reluctantly let go and watched with Finn as Aerrow gave them a last small smile as he turned and walked away.

Walking through the silent courtyard and past the dead Condor, then over the viaduct and into the grounds, all too quickly Aerrow found himself at the beginnings of the forest. As he passed the first few trees, he remembered something. Searching through his back pocket Aerrow pulled out the destroyed horcruex ring, which had the words 'I open at the close' engraved on the gold band.

_I'm ready to die_ Aerrow though to himself and watched as the cracked stone of the ring float up from the ring and hover in front of him. Throwing the band of gold away Aerrow took hold of the floating stone and saw that a tiny symbol had appeared on it. It was the symbol of the deathly hollows. He was holding the resurrection stone.


	53. Chapter 53

Taking a firm hold of the tiny stone Aerrow, remembering the story, he closed his eyes as he thought of who he wanted. As he opened his eyes again, he saw in front of him was his parents, looking exactly as they had been before they'd died. Lily, wearing the clothes she's died in, held out a hand to her son as Lance, wearing his Storm Hawks uniform, stood near her. Walking forward a little more quickly than normal Aerrow tried to take hold of it, but his hand simply travelled through it, as if she was a ghost.

"You've been so brave sweetheart" She told him softly with a smile.

"Why are you here?" Aerrow asked quietly, wondering how the stone could possibly work.

"We never left" Lily replied gently as she lowered her arm. Aerrow took a breath before turning to his father who looked at him proudly. "Look at you, all grown up, spitting image" He said quietly.

"So I've been told" Aerrow replied before dropping his gaze a little. "Does it, hurt, dying?" He asked. The childish question coming out before he could stop it.  
>"Not in the slightest, quicker and easier than falling asleep" Lance told him as he smiled. "Your nearly there son" He encouraged. Aerrow nodded slightly.<p>

"You'll stay with me?" He asked, knowing he had to go soon.

"Always" His mother reassured.

"Until the end" His father also told him with a nod.

"And she won't be able to see you?" Aerrow asked.

"No, were part of you, invisible to anyone else" Lance reassured. Aerrow nodded again before turning back to his mother.

"Stay close" He asked quietly.

"Always" She reassured again, their identical green eyes meeting, as Aerrow allowed the tiny black stone to fall from his hand and onto the forest floor.

In a dark and misty forest clearing Cyclonis was stood with her eyes shut holding the elder wand whilst her forces, including Bellatrix, Lucius and his wife, stood a short distance behind her.

"No sign of him my master" A death eater, who'd been out on patrol, reported as he stood in front of her. Cyclonis seemed surprised by this as she opened her eyes and paced a little as Bellatrix walked up to her as the other death eater rejoined the group.  
>"I though he would come" Cyclonis said quietly as she turned to Bellatrix, who looked sympathetic and equally disappointed as she bowed her head when Cyclonis walked past her and back towards her other followers. Then she heard the snap of a twig behind him, as if someone was approaching. Turning she saw something that made the corners of her mouth twitch into a smile as she watched Aerrow walking into the clearing. As he came to a stop it seemed to Aerrow that no one else existed apart from himself and her as they locked gazes. He felt more than ever the weight of his blades as they rested in their shoulder guards, but he had to resist grabbing them as he knew there would be no fight with her.<p>

"Aerrow, you came?" Cyclonis inquired with a slight smile. Aerrow said nothing, wanting this to be over quickly for fear that he wouldn't be able to stay still for long, as he kept eye contact.

"Of course, I expected you too, with all those people dying for you" She continued to taunt as the death eaters watched with glee and triumph.

"Your wrong, they didn't die for me, they died in order to stop you, and believe me they won't have died in vain" Aerrow told her determinedly, noticing Nagini slithering nearby but knew there was nothing he could do as twenty curses would hit before he'd drawn a blade.

"You think so, but look, your surrendering for their safety" Cyclonis pointed out with curiosity. To her surprise she saw Aerrow grin a little as he scoffed.

"You think they're going to stop after I'm dead, see that's the difference, your followers are here through greed or fear and once your gone, they won't have a reason to fight anymore, but all those in the castle, they won't stop, they won't quit, and you will never win, because there is always going to be someone who'll say no" He spat out with such determination and fire in his eyes that some death eaters smiles dropped, perhaps in fear as even Cyclonis herself looked a little taken aback.

"I once told you that you are a fool and you will lose everything, and so you have" She said quietly as Aerrow's mind wandered back to the castle and to all those he'd left, his team, the order, Starling, his mind rested on her the most, wondering whether she was aright, if she knew, what would happen to her, but Aerrow reassured himself, she was strong, tough, determined and not one to give in. As he saw Cyclonis lift the elder wand and pointed it at him, he focused solely on Starling's calming eyes and the feel of her lips against his as he saw Cyclonis utter a few words. There was bright flash of green light. Then everything was gone.


	54. Chapter 54

It was bright, very bright, so that at first his eyes had trouble adjusting. All around there was nothing, it was all white but there was nothing, no walls, no landmarks, nothing. At least at first. Sitting up, finding also that his clothes and body were now unscathed, even the scar on his arm had disappeared. Aerrow then saw, or perhaps he imagined, silhouettes were appearing of walls and windows, although they were not clear enough the be recognisable owing to a heavy mist or fog like blanket clouding them. Aerrow then also noticed a small bench a short distance away. As he neared it, he saw that there was something small moving underneath it. Bending down to look, Aerrow recoiled back almost instantly as he saw the creature. To him there had never been such a pitiful and disgusting looking thing in all of Atmos. The creature had the form of a small naked child, curled up on the ground, it's skin raw and rough, flayed-looking as it shuddered and struggled for breath. Despite fearing it, small and fragile as it was, Aerrow couldn't help wanting to help or comfort it. He felt like a coward though, as he found himself unable to actually touch the creature as it was repulsing him.

"You cannot help it" A voice suddenly sounded making Aerrow look up. Dumbledore was walking towards him. "Aerrow, you brave boy, you brave brave man" He said with a smile as he stood in front of a stunned Aerrow. "Shall we walk" He added.

Soon Aerrow found himself walking with the former headmaster down the strange place.

"Professor, what is that?" He asked, stopping and looking back at the bench which concealed the creature.

"Something beyond either of our help" Dumbledore replied. "A part of Cyclonis sent here to die" He added as they started walking again.

"Exactly where are we?" Aerrow asked, looking around the strange place.

"I was going to ask you that, where would you say we are?" Dumbledore asked back as Aerrow looked around again.  
>"Well, it looks like the Condor's bridge, just bigger and cleaner, without all the fittings and controls" Aerrow replied, beginning to recognise the familiar shapes of the walls, the windows and particularity the large floor to ceiling windows, which were normally in front of the ships controls, in front of him.<p>

"The Condor's bridge, is that right, this is as they say this is your party" Dumbledore said. "I suspect you now realise that you and Cyclonis have been connected by something other than fate, since the night in Griffindor's Hollow all those years ago" Dumbledore told him.  
>"So it's true, a part of her lives within me?" Aerrow asked.<p>

"Did, it was just destroyed a few moments ago by none other than Cyclonis herself, you were the horcruex she never intended to make Aerrow" Dumbledore explained as they seemed to come to another bench, which they sat on.

"So, what now, is this...?" Aerrow tried to ask as Dumbledore chuckled slightly.

"Not quite" He said. "It is in-between" He added.

"So I'm still alive, but your dead, wait, how's this possible?" Aerrow asked in confusion.

"Think back, remember what she did in her ignorance, in her greed and cruelty" Dumbledore encouraged. Aerrow thought for a moment before the answer seemed to come to him.

"She took my blood" He answered as Dumbledore nodded.

"And in doing so she also took the remains of your mother's protection which tethers you to life as long as she lives" He explained as Aerrow realised something.

"So I've got a choice, I can go back?" He asked.

"Think of it this way, were on the Condor did you say, I think if you so desired, you'd be able to take off" Dumbledore told him.  
>"And where would it take me?" Aerrow asked.<br>"On" Dumbledore replied with a smile as he stood up and began to walk away as Aerrow could have sworn he'd heard the sound of the Condor's engine starting up.

"Cyclonis has the elder wand" He said after Dumbledore as he stood up.

"True" Dumbledore replied as he turned back to face him.

"And the snake's still alive" Aerrow said.

"Yes" Dumbledore said with a nod.  
>"I have nothing to kill it with" Aerrow told him.<p>

"Help will always be given to those who ask for it Aerrow" Dumbledore told him as he began walking back up to him. "I've always prized myself for my ability to turn a phrase, words are in my not so humble opinion, a most exhaustible form of magic, capable of inflicting injury and remedying it, but I would in this case, amend my original statement to this, help will always be given to those who deserve it" He told him with a small smile. "Do not pity the dead Aerrow, pity the living, and above all, those who live without love" He told him as Aerrow considered for a moment.

"Professor, my mother's patronus, it was a doe wasn't it, the same as Severus's, it's curious don't you think?" He asked.

"Actually when I think about it, it doesn't seem curious at all, I'll be going now Aerrow" Dumbledore replied as he began to walk away again.

"Professor" Aerrow called, making Dumbledore turn back as face him. "Is this, all real, or is it just happening inside my head?" He asked.

"Of course it's happening inside your head Aerrow, why should that mean that it's not real" Dumbledore replied with a smile as he and the room grew bright again.


	55. Chapter 55

Master Cyclonis was lead on the forest floor on her back. As she came round she was aware of Bellatrix bend over and whispering franticly to her in concern as she tried to assist her get up.

"I don't need your help" Cyclonis snapped as she pushed Bellatrix away as she got up, fixing her gaze on the body of Aerrow, who was led on his side with his back to them. Lucius's wife, who was nearest him, got the message from Cyclonis's almost worrying stare and walked over to him.

"The boy, is he dead?" Bellatrix asked what everyone was thinking as they all seemed to hold their breaths in anticipation. Aerrow, who was in fact not dead, remained as still as he could with his eyes shut as he smelt the dampness of the forest floor he was led on as he then hear the woman bend down next to him and press a finger against the side of his neck. Expecting her to scream that he was alive to the others when she found his pulse and for there to be numerous spells flying at him any second, it came as a surprise when he felt her bend over him a little more, shielding his head and neck from view.

"Is he alive, Draco, is he alive?" She asked in a whisper that he could barley hear. Slowly and very subtly Aerrow nodded once. He hear the woman gasp a little before she stood up. Lucius's wife slowly turned to face the others. "Dead" She told them.

In the castle's entrance courtyard, as the sky began to turn light grey signalling that dawn was almost there, Stork was looking over and trying to figure out what he was going to do with ruined Condor, which was still lying on it's pile of rubble. Out of the corner of his eye, a movement caught his attention, making him limp, sustained during the Condor's crash, into the middle of the courtyard a little more to see what it was.

On the viaduct Aerrow was being carried between two death eaters as Cyclonis marched in front, looking more gleeful and triumphant than ever before with Nagini slithering at her side whilst the rest of the death eaters followed in a silent march.

Stork watched them walk to and reach the other side of the courtyard as Starling, the Storm Hawks, the remaining order members and most of the Hogwarts staff and students all came out of the doors opposite them.

"Who is that, they're carrying, Stork who is it?" Starling asked, as she walked over to Stork with the other Storm Hawks, beginning to sound panicked as she and others saw the body being carried had red hair.

"The great Sky Knight Aerrow is dead" Cyclonis shouted joyfully for all to hear.

"No!" Aerrow heard someone scream, it was Starling, sounding utterly heartbroken and devastated as she tried to run to either Aerrow or to attack Cyclonis but it was not known as Ace, who looked just as devastated but also full of fury as he looked at Cyclonis, managed to grab her arm and hold her back as she continued to scream in pain and disbelief.

"Silence!" Cyclonis shouted, waving her wand at them, causing them to stop making any sound as they all saw Aerrow with looks of shock, distress and fury. "Stupid girl, Aerrow is dead, from this day forth, you put your faith in me" Cyclonis told Starling, who was still having to be held back by Ace, and everyone else as she stood ahead of her followers. She then turned back and walked to her followers.  
>"Aerrow is dead!" She shouted with joy and laughter wit her arms held out wide as her followers too began to laugh and jeer. Still laughing she turned to face the increasingly angering faces of her opponents. "Now is the time to declare yourselves to me, come forward and join us, or die!" She announced to them. A few moments passed as she saw then all just stand there with their weapons held in their hands.<p>

"Draco!" Lucius suddenly hissed, from where he was stood among the death eaters, at his son, who was stood towards the back of the group looking as worn and scared as everyone else. "Draco!" Lucius hissed again but Draco didn't move, looking like he couldn't hear him.  
>"Draco" His mothers more gentler voice called out. "Come" She asked as Lucius held out his arm. Taking a few moments and looking even more scared, Draco eventually began walking over.<br>"Ah, well done Draco, well done" Cyclonis praised as she met him halfway and gave him as close a thing as she could manage to a hug before allowing him to join his parents. A few more moments of silence passed before someone else stepped forward. It was Stork. He limped forward with a very peculiar and almost determined expression. As the other Storm Hawks and Starling watched in shock, thinking the worst, Cyclonis seemed become curious as she watched the worn and beaten Merb limp in her direction.

"Well I must say I'd hoped for better" She jeered, causing more laughter from her followers. "And are you?" She asked as he came to a stop a short distance from her.

"Stork" Stork replied, not looking her in the eye. Cyclonis then noticed the symbol on his jacket.

"Well Stork, I'm sure even for a Storm Hawk we can find a place for you in our ranks" She said with a grin as more jeers sounded.

"I'd like to say something" Stork said as he suddenly looked her in the eye and sounding braver than he'd ever done before as Cyclonis clenched her free hand in anger of the delay for a moment before relaxing again.

"Well Stork I'm sure we'd be fascinated by what you have to say" She said, almost challenging him. Stork took a few moments before speaking.

"It doesn't matter that Aerrow is gone" He began to say, looking back at the others as gasps rang out from behind him. "People died everyday, friends, family, yeah we lost Aerrow tonight, but he's still with us, in here" He said, pointing to his heart as the Storm Hawks, Starling and others became more and more uplifted by his words. "So's Fred, Lupin, Tonks, Harrier, all of them, they didn't die in vain" He told them as he looked back at Cyclonis. "But you will, because your wrong, Aerrow's heart did beat for us, for all of us, and it's not over!" He shouted as Cyclonis began laughing.

Then a loud and strangely uplifting squawk rang out in the skies above.


	56. Chapter 56

As everyone looked up, some began pointing and yelling as a bird of some kind seemed to be flying towards the courtyard. It was a large bird, almost swan sized in fact, but as it neared people saw that it had long fire red and golden feathers. It was also carrying something, something long, thin and shiny.

"That can't be" Ace said in amazement.

"I think it is, and look what it's carrying" Piper said as they and the others all watched Dumbledore's former pet phoenix, Fawkes, swoop into the courtyard and begin to circle. Taking advantage of everyone's distraction Aerrow peeped open an eye and saw this too, but also knew what Fawkes was waiting for as it circled the courtyard, clutching Griffindor's sword in it's talons.

"What is this?" Cyclonis snapped, not enjoying the bird's presence or the effect it was having on those opposite her.

Then several things happened at once. First Fawkes let out another squawk, as if trying to call to someone, Aerrow opened his eyes, though still not being noticed as everyone was still looking skyward. Cyclonis then heard a commotion and movement out of the corner of her eye and as she turned to see what it was she became rooted to the spot with fear. Aerrow, taking advantage of the two death eaters, who were holding him, distraction he twisted himself around and knocked the two of them away, one getting a nasty kick to the face and getting knocked to the floor as Aerrow half landed, half fell to the floor before standing up, causing at lot of gasps from either side.

"Fawkes!" Aerrow shouted as the phoenix saw him and swooped in, releasing the sword and letting it tumble toward the ground, allowing Aerrow to catch it by the hilt perfectly in one hand as he drew out on of his blades with the other.  
>"You!" Cyclonis shouted in more rage and fury than ever as Aerrow, without breaking his gaze from Cyclonis, slowly began edging away from the death eaters and closer to the Nagini, who was coiled up near the centre of the courtyard, with the sword and his blade held out in front of him as Fawkes perched on the crumbled rooftop of the corridor which ran around the courtyard. "How!" Cyclonis shouted again, sounding so vengeful she could barely speak.<br>"Oh, you know me, I can get out of anything" Aerrow replied with a confident grin as he used her anger and shock to edge closer towards Nagini as everyone else stood watching nervously. Finally near enough Aerrow pointed his blade. "Confringo!" He shouted, firing a blasting spell at the snake. But Nagini was somehow protected as the spell seemed to ripple over her and carried, causing a blast which bowled over the death eaters in it's path, causing a few laughs and cheers from those behind Aerrow. Before he could take another shot however, Cyclonis had gotten over her shock and sent a curse at him which he just managed to deflect. He couldn't fight Cyclonis and Nagini at the the same time, making his choice Aerrow looked out of the corner of his eye to see who was nearby. "Stork!" He called, throwing Griffindor's sword to his shocked team mate, who caught it with fumbled hands as Aerrow sent a blast at Cyclonis before running across the courtyard and leaping through one of the arches of the corridor which ran around as Cyclonis fired a number of blasts after him, causing the corridor to explode with fire, as she watched him running down the corridor. Some of the death eaters were suddenly looking scared and even dissaperating away as, it seemed that Aerrow's return had made them think that Cyclonis was doomed to lose.

"Come back, come back, cowards!" Bellatrix was shrieking as Cyclonis looked back to see half her forces fleeing. Turning back around she spotted Aerrow, who had circled around, running over the rubble just in front of the Condor where he and the others all began to back into the castle.

"Hold off till were in the castle, we need to kill the snake!" He told them as he and others deflected blasts and spells coming from the remaining death eaters. Cyclonis, full of fury and vengeance, and the remains of her followers had begun running towards them. Stork, still holding the sword, lunged forward at Nagini, who was slithering along the floor with her master.

"No!" Cyclonis shrieked when she saw the threat and sent a powerful, but not fatal, blast at Stork, sending him flying over peoples heads and into the great hall, just behind the entrance hall, before Cyclonis dissaperated herself and Nagini away.

Draco and his mother were not joining in with the fight, instead they were walking down the long viaduct and away from the castle with Lucius, taking a last look at the fight, following them too.

The castle was now filled with dust and smoke as the blasts and flames from explosions once more.

Aerrow had separated from the others as he began searching for Cyclonis or if possible Nagini too. Walking through a smoky corridor as he held out his blade, ready for a sudden attack, he wheeled found when he'd thought he'd heard something. Then he really did hear something, a whooshing sound, like a spell flying through the air. Ducking down, he fired a blast, expecting someone there, but instead found that his blast had only hit the side of an arch, spraying stone everywhere. Looking around one more time to check no one was there Aerrow began running again.


	57. Chapter 57

On the main staircase Cyclonis had just dissaperated onto it, looking solely for one person as people fought behind her. Aerrow, having found Piper and taken the last remaining basilisk fang, was stood on the same staircase leaning against an arches base, hidden from view as just around the corner Cyclonis was walking up the stairs in his direction. Running out Aerrow fired at her with his blade and soon they were locked in a ferocious battle as slowly Aerrow was forced backward and up the stairs as Cyclonis followed with Nagini slithering besides her. Cyclonis suddenly dissaperated, only to appear a second later behind Aerrow as they then locked spells. As their spells met in mid air, fighting for ground, Aerrow looked over his shoulder to see Nagini a short distance away, coiled up and hissing angrily. Looking back at Cyclonis, who was beginning to strain with the effort of the spell, Aerrow pushed against his own spell and sent it and Cyclonis's upwards and colliding with the roof, making it collapse seemingly on top of her. As Aerrow picked himself up, having dived out of the way of the falling roof, and found himself facing Nagini. Holding the basilisk fang out ready to strike he suddenly saw Cyclonis, having escaped the roof collapse, standing on the staircase above. Blasting a lethal looking curse at him, Aerrow was forced to jump over the handrail, moments before it shattered from the spell, and fell onto the staircase below, rolling painfully down until he reached the foot of the stairs where he saw the basilisk fang fall from his hand and turn to ash from having been hit by the spell. Scrambling to his feet as Cyclonis fired from the staircase above Aerrow began running, soon followed by Cyclonis as she flew after him as a black stream of smoke.

Nagini, having been forgotten by Cyclonis in her pursuit of Aerrow, had remained on the staircase. That was where Piper found her as she ran out onto the landing at the foot of the staircase. Watching the snake for a moment, she slowly readied her staff, aimed it, and fired.

In the great hall Stork, laying where he'd landed on top of a number of stretchers laying on the floor, was groggily coming round. As he sat up, all around him was a fierce battle as people on both sides fought for their lives. Looking over his shoulder he saw Griffindor's sword just behind him on the floor.

Running through the castle, Aerrow had reached the clock tower's bell walkway just as Cyclonis dissaperated in behind him as she fired a shot, severing the chains holding part of the walkway up, causing the part Aerrow was standing on to fall at one side. Tumbling down the wooden planks he fell painfully onto the stone floor just underneath as trails of black fabric, coming out of Cyclonis's wand, wrapped around his wrists and neck, lifting him off the ground.

Elsewhere in the castle, Nagini, having begun pursing Piper after she'd attacked her, had backed her into a corner. But Finn was creping up behind and was about to strike her with a crystal arrow from his crossbow when she noticed him and turned, rearing it's head level with his as Piper stood on the other side of her.

In the great hall Molly and Ace were locked in a furious battle with Bellatrix, who was cackling madly, despite the fact that they were actually battling on top one of the long tables. Fuelled by their anger of her, her taunts particularly about Fred and Aerrow, when he'd been 'dead', and all the misery she'd caused over the years, Molly and Ace were a formidable team and were soon overwhelming her. Then as Ace sent a blast from is blade and Molly sent a spell from her wand at the same time it struck Cyclonis's primary death eater square in the chest causing to seemingly shrivel up before, no doubt caused by the power of the hit and the spell, she shattered, reduced to nothing more than dust, leaving Molly and Ace to catch their breaths and for once that night smile at someone's death.

Starling meanwhile was racing through the castle in the hope of finding Aerrow as he'd gone off to find Cyclonis as soon as he could. But she knew he might need help and, she'd lost him once tonight and she was not going to lose him again. Catching her breath as she reached the clock tower courtyard she was raking her brain at where he could be when movement caught her eye towards the top of the clock tower as she saw the lights and blasts of shots being fired through the gaps in the arches just above the clock face. That's when, somehow, almost instinctively, she knew she'd found him.

In the clock tower, Aerrow had been pulled by the fabric back up onto the walkway where he was throw back against a wall as Cyclonis marched towards him. Striking him across the face and knocking him to the ground she watched him, lashing out a kick into his chest as he crawled across the floor and tried to get back to his feet. Grabbing him by his throat Cyclonis then threw him onto the walkway to the side and followed him as he crawled back with his arms as he looked at her.

"You were right.." He began as she cut him off with another strike across the face.

"...when you told Severus that wand is failing you, it will always fail you" Aerrow told her as he stood up on the walkway which backed off onto a large balcony.

"No!" Cyclonis snarled as she knocked him with a spell out onto the broken and dangerous balcony, now missing it's guard rail. "I killed Severus" She told him as slowly he was forced to edge closer and closer to the edge where a sheer drop lay just another few steps away.

"But what if Severus never owned the wand, what if it's allegiance was to someone else" Aerrow told her, having worked it out from what Olivander had said and when he realised who had actually won the wand from Dumbledore on the night he'd died. Cyclonis suddenly grabbed him by the throat with her free hand and began choking him as she inched him closer to the edge.

"You are mistaken" She whispered as she watched him grab her arm in a wasted attempt to get free from her grasp. Aerrow felt felt the heels of his boots leave the floor and pivot over the edge as he knew Cyclonis was preparing to the throw him off the roof. Then quite suddenly she released her grip, causing him to fall.


	58. Chapter 58

As he fell, Cyclonis felt a moment of triumphant. But that moment was shattered as, unknown to her, Aerrow had clung onto her arm for a reason. He hadn't been trying to get loose, he'd been anchoring himself to her and as he fell, Aerrow had jerked her arm towards him with such a force that, combined with Cyclonis being off guard, it had sent her tumbling with him. There had been another flaw in her plan to throw him off too as, Aerrow had only just been over the edge of the balcony so that when he fell and let go of her after pulling her over with him, he was able to grab the ledge with his arms, stopping him from falling any further down.

Cyclonis hadn't been so fortunate as being pulled over had caused her to tumbled head first over Aerrow and fall further down before she managed to use the 'Aresto momentum' spell and slow herself down enough to grab the thin edges of the stonework of the tower, that a second ago had been racing past her. As she now stood of the face of the tower, she looked up to see Aerrow directly, and not so far, above her as he struggled to find a foothold and heave himself up. Despite the fact that she was clinging to a wall hundreds of feet above the ground, Cyclonis found herself smiling as she began to slowly find edges to grab and climb up.

Aerrow cursed as, unable to look down and see, he couldn't place his dangling feet onto anything solid enough to help him get back onto the balcony. He knew that he didn't have the strength to pull himself up with his arms alone as he had fallen too far down. The only thing now keeping him from falling off completely was he forearms and chin. Down below and unknown to him,

Cyclonis, wearing a mad and evil grin was edging ever closer to him, determined to finish the boy off once and for all.

As Aerrow struggled to hold on, all he could see in front of him was the stone floor and the archway leading to the walkways. Then he saw something that made his heart skip a beat. Starling, looking out of breath and panicked, had just emerged from the tower. It seemed for a moment that they just stared at each other, shocked at in some miraculous way, they had found each other when it had been needed the most.

"Aerrow, hold on, hold on, I've got you!" She shouted as she ran to the ledge and dropped to the floor as she grabbed one of his arms and began to pull him up with all her might. With Starling's assistance, Aerrow could feel himself slowly getting more and more onto the balcony. Then something shattered that feeling as something grabbed and jerked his ankle down. Starling had been jerked down too, nearly falling of the balcony as Aerrow was pulled down by something. Risking a glance over his shoulder Aerrow saw that, incredibly and impossibly, Cyclonis had managed to grab onto the tower and had even managed to climb up and grab hold of his ankle, jerking it down with such a force that Aerrow let out a cry of pain as she tried to pull him off the tower.

"You are not escaping me again and it's going to be hell!" She shouted at him with a demented smile as she madly began shaking and pulling his ankle even further down, straining and pulling it even more, causing almost blinding pain to shoot up Aerrow's leg as above him Starling desperately held on to him.

"Let me know what it's like!" Aerrow shouted back as he lashed out his other foot and smashed it against Cyclonis hand which had been holding onto him, trapping the fingers painfully enough for her to let go. Because of the sudden release Aerrow shot upwards, allowing Starling to finally pull him up onto the balcony.

"It's aright, I've got you, it's aright" She reassured, but sounded panicked as she held onto him as he lay on the stone floor gasping and wincing as he regained his breath and got used to the terrible pain and burning coming from his ankle. Sitting up and looking up at her when he'd done so, he gave a small smile.

"Hey" He said, having not reunited after he'd been brought back to the courtyard by Cyclonis.

"Hey" She whispered back as she also struggled to control her breathing. Within a second of her finishing speaking she'd grabbed hold of his jacket and pulled him into a passionate kiss. "I thought..."She tried to say, as they looked at each other again, suddenly sounding tearful. Aerrow, who had never seen her cry before, pulled her into a hug as tears started flowing down her cheeks.

"I know, and I so sorry for not telling you, I couldn't bear it" He whispered to her gently as he rested his face against her head. After a few moments she pulled herself away and wiped her eyes.

"Is it over?" She asked, making Aerrow remember about Cyclonis.

"I don't know, I kicked her away but..." He said in a rush as he suddenly stumbled to his feet and looked over the edge of the balcony and down the wall of the castle. Cyclonis wasn't there.

"Did she fall?" Starling asked as she stood looking over Aerrow's shoulder. It seemed she had, but Aerrow knew that this was Cyclonis they were dealing with, and she wouldn't have risked going as close to the edge as she'd done without having a way to escape if she fell. His theory was proven right a second later as Aerrow heard the unmistakable whooshing sound of someone dissaperating in, just to the side of them.


	59. Chapter 59

Wheeling round Aerrow and Starling saw Cyclonis standing a short distance away, a little further along the balcony and just in front of the side guardrail. Although she didn't say anything, her face told Aerrow that this time she wouldn't mess around in killing him and that he had seconds to act.

"Do you trust me?" He whispered to Starling, who he was standing in front of and keeping her out of the line if fire as much as he could, not taking his eyes of Cyclonis as she watched them with glaring eyes, as if they were a couple of persistent bugs that refused to die despite constant whacks.

"Yeh" Starling whispered back as she also kept eye contact with Cyclonis.

"Good, because this is going to look incredibly stupid" Aerrow whispered back as, before Starling could stop him or before Cyclonis had time to attack, he did indeed do something not only stupid but completely outrageous, dangerous and incredibly brave at the same time as he ran forward and tackled Cyclonis head on, causing them both to tumble over the guard rail behind her. Starling could do no more than yell with fright and run over to the guardrail and watch them fall.

Clinging onto Cyclonis, Aerrow felt her claw and scratch at him as she tried to throw him off of her. Now came the most dangerous part of his plan as it all depended on Cyclonis. Aerrow held on even more as Cyclonis was forced to, in the face of falling to her death, shroud them both in a black stream of smoke as fly them both through the air. But she was out of control as she continuously tried to throw Aerrow off her, causing them to crash through a number of rooftops, walls and exposed roof rafters.

After a sickening ride through the skies above the castle they crash landed into the entrance courtyard. Rolling terribly out of control, Aerrow stopped first as Cyclonis carried on a little further, so that they led on opposite sides of the courtyard. Laying on his stomach Arrow looked up to see his blades, which had both fallen from his hand and their sheath in the fall, on the ground a short distance away and started crawling for it. Across the courtyard Cyclonis was also crawling for her wand. They grabbed hold of them at the same time and sat up, kneeling on the floor as they realised two very powerful spells at each other. The spells, Cyclonis's killing curse and Aerrow's disarming spell, collided with such a force and sound that the ground seemed to quake as they battle for ground.

Inside the castle Piper and Finn were running hand in hand down the main staircase as Nagini slithered rapidly after them. Reaching the foot of the stairs, just next to the great hall's doors Finn and Piper both attempted to shoot the snake with their weapons from over their shoulders. But like Aerrow's spell, the blast and arrow, which exploded as if it had hit, rippled over her as she shot through the air towards them. Falling onto a pile of rubble, as Nagini prepared to strike them, Finn cradled Piper in his arms as they prepared for the worst. But it never came as, just as Nagini was halfway into the air to strike them, it's mouth wide open displaying it's horrid fangs, Griffindor's sword, wielded by Stork sliced through it's neck, beheading the great snake and reducing it to dust.

In the courtyard Cyclonis felt the loss of her final horcruex and the feel of being mortal again, causing her spell to vanish, as did Aerrow's from the sudden loss of momentum as he watched her, unaffected by Nagini's death, risking a glance back at the castle where the last of the dust that was once Nagini fell to the floor at Stork feet. Looking back to face Cyclonis's and knowing she was mortal again he hoped that he'd got the last part of his plan right as he saw Cyclonis ready herself and shoot another killing curse at him as he countered with another disarming spell. The spells once more collided with unbelievable force. But this time something was different, Cyclonis's wand was holding back it's power, and for one very simple reason. The elder wand did not belong to her. Although she held and used it, she had not won it's allegiance as she had taken it from Dumbledore's grave without any resistance and therefore not winning it. Even when she'd killed Severus in the hope of doing so she'd been wrong. Aerrow just hoped he was right as Cyclonis's spell drew closer and closer towards her. As the last of her spell disappeared, there was a deafening blast as the elder wand caused her own spell to backfire on her. The blast's energy rippled through the courtyard, strongly enough to knock Aerrow into a backwards tumble and onto his stomach. When he looked up he saw the elder wand was flying through the air towards him. Managing to get back onto his knees he caught it with his free hand at took a moment to look at it. Then he looked back at Cyclonis. Her spell had backfired and engulfed her. Aerrow watched as, from the force of the blast, she began to disintegrate into dust. As the last of the once powerful tyrant of Atmos broke apart, the dust that she'd become caught the wind and floated up and away into the sky, just as the warm morning sun rose above the horizon. Master Cyclonis was gone. It was all over.


	60. Chapter 60

Shakily Aerrow got to his feet as he stared at where she had once stood as he held his blade limply in one hand and the elder wand in the other. All at once the shock wore off as a wave of many emotions and feelings hit him. Relief and happiness was the main ones of course, but tiredness and aching followed in equal measure. His legs felt like lead as turned around and began walking slowly towards the entrance hall. Reaching the entrance doors, he lent against them for a moment and closed his eyes feeling utterly drained. When he opened them however, some of his strength immediately came back. Starling, having run all the way down from the cloak tower, was stood at the foot of the main staircase. Then at the doors of the great hall, he saw the other Storm Hawks also standing there. None a single one of them had ever looked as filthy, beaten, worn, shattered and drained as they did now. But it didn't matter, they were all alive, still standing and knew it would never happen again. Starling was the first to reach Aerrow, nearly bowling him over as she ran into his arms, the Storm Hawks then followed with their own joyous greetings and hugs.

Entering the hall, Aerrow received more greetings and praise as the hall erupted with, not the sound of blasts, but with cheering and clapping as The Storm Hawks and Starling walked through the hall.

Soon the noise had quieted down to quiet chatter as everyone rested and recovered over much welcomed warm drinks and snacks. As people all around them, including Seamus, Luna, Abaforth and McGonagall all shared their stories of the battle, which would no doubt be told for years to come, The Storm Hawks and Starling were sat at a table rather quietly as the elder wand lay in the middle of them along with Griffindor's sword, looking as ever brand new and undamaged. Aerrow had, and only to them, explained everything, from what happened in the boathouse to the moment of Cyclonis's destruction. They had of course looked horrified at some parts, particularity the point where he handed himself over and the fact that he'd thrown himself off a rooftop as he took Cyclonis with him. Even Starling, who'd been with him at that point, turned pale and gripped his arm as she sat next to him.

"What are you going to with it?" Junko asked Aerrow quietly, indicating the elder wand. Aerrow gave a small and tired grin with the corner of his mouth.

"I don't know" He replied as he rubbed his eyes, which were burning with tiredness.

"Well, there's plenty of time to think about it" Ace said as a familiar squawk rang out across the hall, making them turn to see Fawkes swoop in before landing on their table.

"Hey Fawkes" Aerrow greeted as he gently stroked the phoenix's head a little.  
>"What are we going to do with this one then?" Piper asked with a smile as she looked at Fawkes.<p>

"I'm sure we can find a place on the Condor if he wants to stay, speaking of which how is the Condor?" Aerrow asked Stork.  
>"It should be aright, a few days, maybe a week" He reassured.<p>

Later that day, as people began to repair the castle or left to spread the news of Cyclonis's defeat, the Storm Hawks and Starling were walking along the viaduct as Fawkes, who was happy to stay with them, flew over head. Aerrow had hold of the elder wand, having not told them about it's ownership, but wanting to tell them now and away from everyone else.

"So why didn't it work for her?" Piper asked as they stopped a good distance from the castle.

"It answered to someone else, when she killed Severus, she thought it would work for her, but the things, the wand never belonged to him either" He explained as he held the wand in his hand. "It was Draco that disarmed Dumbledore that night on the astronomy tower, and from that moment on it answered to him" Aerrow continued as he looked down at it before taking a breath. "Until, that night when I disarmed Draco at Lucius's manor" He added as he looked back up at them.

"So that means..." Finn began as he and the others realised what it meant.

"It's mine" Aerrow confirmed.

"What are we going with it then?" Finn asked, sounding very interested in the wand.

"We?" Piper remind him.

"Just saying, that's the elder wand, most powerful wand in Atmos, with that you'd be invincible" Finn said to Aerrow, who looked down at the wand for a moment.

"Your right, I would be" He replied. "Which is why.." He began as he held the wand in both hands. There was a great crack as the wand was snapped in half as Aerrow then turned to face the wall of the viaduct and threw the two pieces over it and watched them fall out of sight and into the valley below, where they would never be found again as the other Storm Hawks and Starling looked on in shock which quickly turned to understanding as Aerrow turned back to face them with a smile.


	61. Chapter 61

A few days later Aerrow and Starling were out walking on the viaduct again, this time alone, coming to a stop a good distance from the castle before talking.

"Where you, actually dead?" She asked him quietly, looking out at the valley as he looked at her.

"No, I was sort of, in-between" He told her, remembering how distraught she'd sounded when she'd thought he had been. Starling nodded a little before turning back to face him.

"Look at you" She said with concern, holding a hand to his face. Aerrow could only smile a little in agreement. Despite the few days that had passed and the comforts of food and rest, he still looked a mess. He'd caught his reflection in the mirror that morning and was surprised at what he'd seen, and couldn't have imagined what he'd look like straight after the battle. Cyclonis had certainly left her mark, the worst was the line of bruises along his neck where she'd strangled him as she'd prepared to throw him off the rooftop. "Is it, really over?" Starling asked, she hadn't been hurt so bad but Aerrow could still see the marks on her face and knew the emotions of the battle would be there for much longer.

"Yeh, she can't come back, it's over" He told her. Starling seemed to consider for a moment before speaking.  
>"What are you going to do now?" She asked.<p>

"No idea, I suppose help out with the damage that's been caused, but it's a new era, I think Atmos has had it's darkest hour, there won't be anything big as this again" He told her as he looked towards the castle as he saw the progress of the repairing work. "This came today" He added as he pulled out a small letter, that looked very official, and handed it to her. As she read it he smiled at her reaction as he looked back up at him.  
>"The council sent this?" She asked in surprise as she held the letter.<p>

"Yep, they got together immediately and it was unanimous, they even said it was long overdue" He said as she reread the letter.  
>"I can see that, so the Storm Hawks are an official squadron now, have you been given a Terra to look after?" She asked with a smile. Aerrow nodded.<br>"Well, we've been asked, not by them but by McGonagall, she said she's talked to most of people around here and, they've asked us us to look after Hogsmead" He told her.

"And what did you say?" Starling inquired.

"It's a good base, but I don't think we could ever by tied down to anywhere specifically" He replied.

As if on cue, the Condor, having had a stunning repair job, came into view as it readied to land, Stork and Junko having travelled to Atmosia to collect new sky rides for the squadron.

"Well, there she is, a ship, an official squadron and a Terra to look after, I don't think it's going to be quiet" Starling said as they both watched the ship.  
>"There's something missing though" Aerrow said quietly as he looked at her. "You remember the day we met and that I asked you something" He told her as she looked at him with a reminiscent expression. Slowly she nodded.<p>

"And you remember my that answer that day" She replied.

"Has it changed?" Aerrow asked softly. Starling seemed to be close to answering when she seemed to turn almost amused as she remembered something.

"Your an official squadron now, and they say a squadron can't have two Sky Knights" She reminded him, echoing what she said all those years ago.

"True, but, I've never really listened to them much" He said with a smile.  
>"Yeah, neither have I" Starling replied as she kissed him softly.<p>

"I take this as a yes?" Aerrow inquired.

"Oh, I think I joined a long time ago, I just didn't know it" Starling replied as she kissed him again.

The next day as the Condor, with Stork on the balcony above the runway along with Fawkes perched on the rail, was parked in the entrance courtyard with it engines running, the rest of the Storm Hawks, including their newest member and joint Sky Knight, Starling, were all readying their new vehicles, including the unexpected one Starling had received from her new team. Soon they were nearly ready to go as the Hogwarts students and staff, including McGonagall, along with a few of the squadrons who'd stayed to help with the clean up, all watched from the doors. Swinging onto his ride and readying his engine Aerrow saw McGonagall walk over.

"I want to thank you, all of you for what you've done, and I hope you will consider our offer" She told him and the others quietly so that only they could hear.

"We will, and we'll come back, one day" Aerrow told her as they shook hands before she rejoined her students.

"So, new rides, new joint leadership, new era for Atmos, what happens now?" Finn asked as they prepared to take off. Aerrow looked to his joint Sky Knight, who smiled back, already knowing his answer.

"In Atmos, just about anything" Aerrow replied with a grin as he and his team revved their engines and took off as Stork retuned to the controls of the Condor and began flying it out of the courtyard, closely following his team mates as those left watching waved and called their goodbyes as they watched the Storm Hawks fly off into the horizon.


End file.
